Friday, May 22, 2015

I Wish I'd Written This










Dog Bones

By Jim Cole

Cheeba lays at my feet
a muffled barking in his sleep

his legs are twitching
and i wonder what he is chasing

is it a memory ?
or is he on a shamanic journey ?

i am no dog whisperer
but he knows whatever i am thinking

and somehow responds
before i say or do anything

some people have this instinct
an empathic intuitive distinctive

paranormal gift of knowing
i have it when i am used for healing

sometimes i think Cheeba
is a gift to me for my own healing

he knows what i am dealing with
and i affectionately call him Buddha dog

we often put our foreheads together
and we watch as we silently meditate

he doesn’t come when i call
but he finds me whenever i am lost in

deep thought and not paying
him with enough attention from within

without him i would be alone
spirit of my spirit and bone of my bone


Yes, you are getting two poems this time — the three-line poem to Cheeba with the photo, haiga-like, and the longer piece which echoes and elaborates on it. 

I have known Jim Cole for perhaps nine years now, first on MySpace then on facebook. He styles himself The Love Poet, and he can certainly lay claim to that title, as his poetry is written with the express purpose of spreading Love in the world.  

Here is what he said about himself when I asked him for biographical notes for this article:

'An old world poet who is a modern mystic, poet Jim Cole writes to remind us of our Oneness of consciousness in an emerging compassionate climate of change. Poetry became his voice in the 1960s and continues today as he admits he is a survivor of four suicide attempts beginning at age 7 and ending at his awakening at age 40. He shares his daily experiences of pain as a remembrance of release from the past and an enduring hope for the present.'

Having been reading him for years, I observed that he seemed to be in deep depression when I began seeing his writing, and that after some time he appeared to turn a corner and enter into the enjoyment of life again. This was apparent not only in the verses but also from his profile photos, in which his eyes stopped looking sad. The change in his energy, in both ways, was quite marked — and it attests to the power of his chosen practice of using poetry in the service of Love. I must add that his poems reveal that he also uses prayer.

He has no pretensions to being a 'literary' poet. He prefers simplicity and truth. 

(I think you know I'm a grammar Nazi. I did ask him if I could change 'lays' in the above poem to 'lies'. He politely declined, as he chose it for vibrational reasons. How could I argue? Spiritual / energetic truth of course prevails, and is the foundation of poetry.)

Sometimes I find his work a tad too sentimental for my taste, but many love and cherish it, and there is no doubting his authenticity. And sometimes — often! — the loving heart and the poetic language come together to create something truly beautiful, as in this tribute to his beloved old dog.

Here is a masterly haiku I also wish I'd written:

life explodes
leaves spring from trees
buds go bloom !

I'm giving you extra today, as Jim hasn't had a book published and the only place you can find his poetry online is at his facebook profile

I'm sad to report that his friend Cheeba crossed over on March 18 this year. Many of us know what it means to lose such a special being, and will feel sympathetic to Jim in his loss. Yet it is cathartic to read about such a faithful 'guardian friend' and we are richer for meeting Cheeba in these loving words.


Poems and photos used in ‘I Wish I’d Written This’ remain the property of the copyright holders (usually their authors).

16 comments:

  1. What a lovely tribute, and it is sad to hear about Cheeba, the lovely companion.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My cat companion took her final journey in April, but I still feel her presence as in the poem you wish you had written Rosemary. I've written many poems about her, but here is the last one--http://susanspoetry.blogspot.com/2015/05/grief.html--in case it helps Love Poet Jim Cole to read it. It's lovely to read his. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. the souls of our canine children were born here on earth to keeps us human primates just underneath the thresh of wild and uncaring

    ReplyDelete
  4. Being a lover of dogs, this poem resonates with me. I enjoyed reading also the details of Jim's life that were shared. I like his kind of down-to-earth and non-pretentious poetry & his explanation of why he chose to use 'lays' instead of 'lies.' Dogs do find a person when they are 'lost' sometimes, making them attend to what is important. This poem is a keeper.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you for bringing Jim and his beautiful poetry to us...I agree this is a wonderful tribute...I connected with his poem about Cheeba as I had a dog just like this...where we were connected and one and the loss of this dog and others is still a deep loss for me....

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lovely tribute and i will visit Jim's site and read more of his love-ly poetry. I have read and enjoyed his poetry ... Welcome back to your column Rosemary <3

    ReplyDelete
  7. Deep feelings here, I love this 'Buddha dog'.....bright memory to him...the poem flows from the heart...thank you, Rosemary...

    ReplyDelete
  8. The tenderness of the relationship between Jim and Cheeba is so beautiful. I imagine he is still deeply grieving the loss of such a special friend. It's wonderful that he's dedicated his poetry writing to spreading love. There is no better intention. Thank you for introducing Jim to us.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh my goodness, Rosemary, you KNOW how much I love this post! I am now following Jim. I LOVE his poem about his Buddha dog. Jim, I am so sorry for your loss. I know only too well how much - and for how long - we miss them when they reluctantly leave us for the other side. I adore that he strives to use his poetry to spread love in the world. My kind of poet!

    ReplyDelete
  10. sorry for your loss. poem touches the soul

    ReplyDelete
  11. I have to echo Sherry here...she itterates my exact sentiments. I'm so glad to have met Jim...thank you, Rosemary.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I esp., love Jim's Haiku. Thanks for sharing his work.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Rosemary - thank you so much for this. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Jim ... I am sorry for the loss of Cheeba. Sherry understands this loss only too well.

    ReplyDelete
  14. This is a heartfelt tribute to his dog..so sorry for the loss of his Buddha dog.....love the emotion of the poet involved here...'He prefers simplicity and truth'....this is a virtue to be possessed by a poet...thanks for introducing the 'love poet' to us Rosemary...

    ReplyDelete
  15. Such a nice tribute. I couldnt help remembering my canine companion who left me in 2011.

    ReplyDelete
  16. A popular post! I knew it would touch your hearts, and I'm glad it did.

    ReplyDelete

This community is not meant to be used in a negative manner. We ask that you be respectful of all the people on this site as each individual writer is entitled to their own opinion, style, and path to creativity.

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Blog Archive

Followers