Photo - Adi Da Samraj

Transcendental poetry originates in the heart of the seer-poet and awakens in the heart of the reader. Therefore, transcendental poetry is not for thinkers. It attempts to silence the thinker so the heart’s yearning, the heart’s call, can be heard and felt at the same time.

The seer-poet communicates the past, the present and the future simultaneously. Each word penned to paper is a living entity, an expression of freshly released energy, a bolt of enlightening life-force if you wish, linking the Divine, the seer-poet, his words, and the reader together in a light-stringed web of understanding, passion and love.

The seer-poet knows he cannot beat his own heart, so he shares his energy (life-force) using verse, describing every event and circumstance that make up his humble existence. He lives in love and gratitude  and forever praises the Light that lives him. In return,  as Grace would have it, each vowel and consonant becomes a bolt of Light Supreme that draws the reader to the word. That is the nature of the Light-Giving Cycle. It’s like using a lit candle to light another one, and so on, and so forth.

To the seer-poet then, his work is neither epic, tragic, or comedic; it’s simply ECSTATIC! Although his poems do imitate life, they also imitate the Divine, Da (the Giver). How can the reader be captivated by mere words, void of Life Supreme, no matter how cleverly they may rhyme, are metered, or are in tune with the flute of the shadow goddess. If the heart is not touched, the reader may as well cast a blind eye to the page.

Transcendental poetry attracts those who are vulnerable, those who are suffering a total positive disillusionment with conditional existence. To the seer-poet, his work is not to make the reader feel good, or  bad; it’s intended purely to make the heart feel without limitation. True Ecstasy transcends limitation, therefore transcendental poetry transcends mere words.

Always in Love – KozRon

Depression feeds on a lifetime of ungrieved and unforgiven events and circumstances. Like poems, we have our favorite songs and stories we listen or read to overcome our depressed state.  The daily stressors of life are overwhelming for everyone at times. Depression poetry can be the inspiration needed to move forward when all other resources have been exasperated.  Writing your way out of depression often times is the antidote to allowing it to take over your life.  Poetry is an avenue for one to freely express one’s emotions; emotions that have long been wanting to be expressed from the deep recesses of the psyche and from the soul.

I wrote my best poems in the darkest moments of my depression. In the spring of 2007 I had to stop working because I was suffering severe bouts of anxiety and panic attacks. At the time I didn’t know what was going on so I went to several doctors, hoping they could explain my dilemma. I underwent every possible blood test, endoscopy, colonoscopy, ultrasounds for this, that, and the other thing. I had my ears checked because I was losing my balance all the time. They found nothing physically wrong with me. So, I went back home, curled up on the sofa and spent the better part of seven months there. At times I would be well enough to sit on my balcony. In those rare moments I wrote in my diary. At one point I was inspired to write a poem, so I wrote a piece titled “Alpha Bet Soup”. During the following 2 weeks I wrote 54 more pieces.

It was not until November of 2007 that I was finally diagnosed with major clinical depression & bipolar disorder. It was a long time to spend down the rabbit hole without medication and treatment.

Writing poems, in depressed moments, allows one to introspect and let emotions flow through pen and paper.  Sadness from lost love or death of a loved one can hinder resilience and ability to handle daily stressors because of depression. Such poetry can help break one free from depression’s shackles.

Depression poems can break away isolationist feelings and help in conquering mixed emotions;  such emotions that can grasp a person and cripple every aspect of their life. Depression poetry can also aid the mind and help better understand what the source of the melancholy is coming from.

Depression can paralyze and drain us, making it a very real and dangerous illness.  It is not easily described when there are so many forms that can ale us.  In every aspect of life, depression may challenge our lives.  There is so much going on in this world that it becomes too overwhelming with stress and struggles life seemingly generously gives us.  Depression eventually will distract us from our daily activities, leaving the illusion of being alone, even when there is a world of people around going about their own life’s trials.  Poetry has been ranked as a top form of therapy and is an avenue for the seemingly impervious emotions, eagerly wanting a way out to relieve us of the burdens we hold.

Depression is a confused and hopeless state that drives people to desperate lengths.  All I can say is don’t be afraid to talk about it and try to be open if others are trying to reach out. If all else fails, grab a pen and write a few words.

Always In Love – KozRon

Here’s an article published by Henry Arthur Jones (circa 1900) entitled “What’s the Use of Poetry? “ I felt I should post it for your reading pleasure. Enjoy…

What’s the use of poetry?  - Words to live upon, when one can’t get bread and cheese; to clothe and warm oneself with, when one is ragged and cold!

What’s the use of poetry? -  To keep faith and hope and worship alive in the heart of man, to reconcile him to life, to make him at home in his world.

What’s the use of poetry? - To pour vitriol on deceit and vice, to seam and scar the detested face of hypocrisy and lies. To add hate to all things hateful and shame to all things shameful!

What’s the use of poetry? - To give beauty to beauty, more grace to grace, more truth to truth, to deck the flowers of the field, to rain perfume on the rose and music on the nightingale.

What’s the use of poetry? - To be a stumbling block to the worldly wise and the proud, and a camp and pillar of fire to children and the childlike.

What’s the use of poetry? - To embalm the immortal dead, to interpret this aimless Universe, to snatch the secrets of the stars, to unleash the seas and the winds, to fling a double rainbow of hope and glory across the heavens, till all the Universe shouts with one voice, and beats with one heart, and pants with one breath!

What’s the use of poetry? - To make this wide world drunk with its loveliness, to make this garret a palace and me the King of Death and Fate!

Poetry not real, not useful! There is nothing useful but poetry, and nothing real but the poet!