Lauren,

Kindness is at the forefront of your attributes,
as your soul perceives the needs of others.
And in your modesty you know not how generous
is your well that overflows with empathy.

Lauren,

Your inner beauty is a mirror,
reflecting a compassionate smile.
The golden spark that is your heart
radiates from within to without, and
the most lovely eyes in the world
resonate an abundance of grace.

Lauren,

The greatest of treasures one could find,
A precious diamond,
a gem with an incomprehensible value.

Lauren,

I want to join you on this journey.
Will you marry me?

A Recipe for Love*

by Benji Raymond


(Serving Suggestions:
Serves two people generously)

Directions:

Take two compatible souls
Sprinkle a dash of honesty & trust
Sift in a layer of compromise & a cup of loyalty,
then mix with an ounce of understanding & patience.

While stirring, add a cup of consistency.
fill in the gaps with communication & tolerance.
Swirl gently,
Throughly coat with a dash of unselfishness,
sprinkle with a pinch of compassion & reliability.
Add a teaspoon of kindness & intimacy.

leave to warm in the moderate sun over a period of time.

Best served with :
a spice of humour


*Edited version of the poem which appeared in Marriage Is Forever:
A Blue Mountain Arts Collection (March 2003)

The Other Side

By Benji Raymond

The Other Side

By Benji Raymond

(i)

Sparkles of beauty resonate from her eyes,

Illumination whispers from her smile.

Her ways are filled with harm

yet her beauty transcends understanding.

She motions for me to follow.

I pause – weighing up the rights and wrong -

Knowingly creating the rights and hiding the wrongs.

She picks up on my hesitation and her beauty calls to me yet again.

She waits - but she need not wait long - for I quickly follow.

(ii)

Truth has a way of slowly seeping in

creating an emptiness that surpasses one's being.

I had left my old path,

a path which was a tree of life

for those who grasped on its precious roots

only to choose a way that is faded and warn.

The beauty of truth outweighs the sparkles and illumination of her eyes.

I walk away and she awaits my return,

her beauty quickly diminishing,

but this time she will continue waiting

On The Path
by Benji Raymond


There is no treasure as rich or poor as routine
since it comforts those who walk upon its golden path
and within the hidden spheres of space and time
where light once illuminated their world
darkness now envelopes those who choose not to stretch further than their horizon.

Those who alter their ways by examining themselves
leave their houses in order to seek their homes
for those who search for the beauty of truth
sparks of hope resonant from the depths of their beings
since a person who never leaves cannot return.

The Flip Side

Jerusalem
by Benji Raymond


Golden bricks light up the views
Black hats shower the streets
Milk and honey flow through the land
Faces glow with the illumination of Torah
Hospitality extends beyond reason
Torah is on the lips of all who fear
Kindness echoes in the alleyways
Modesty rises to the heights of the heavens
Knowledge radiates from their souls

The eternal fire warms the winter.

The Flip Side

Guarding the Flame
by Benji Raymond


As the winds hovers above,
the flame flickers in a moment of weakening
and I encircle the glowing radiance,
now a dimly lit remembrance of what once was.

As I continue to guard the flame
the wind prevails in its strength
and as the chuckling town's folk gather at my store's window
they see a mirage of insignificance,
when all I see is a glow of beauty.

As the winds of time change
as they so often do
and the cold grey clouds gather in assembly,
I use the flicker of illumination
to spark a more powerful flame.

As the dimly lit light grows,
I call upon the town's folk with an unpretentious smile
and let them share the beauty of the flame's warmth.

The warmth that once went unnoticed,
The truth that was once viewed to be dressed in the clothes of lies,
an illusion of falsity...
now at a moment of need in the coldness of the urban landscape
the flame surrounds the town's people and provides wholesome warmth.

The Flip Side

Religion
by Benji Raymond


It flows through my mind,
But not through my veins.

It swims through my thoughts
But not through my heart.

It is instilled in my sense of truth,
But not in my thirst.

It sits on my fingertips,
But not on the tip of my tongue.

Its presence is evident in my dreams,
But not in my sense of reality.

It lies comfortably in my soul,
But engages awkwardly in my life.

The Flip Side

The Merry-Go Round
by Benji Raymond


Photographs of times which knew no end,
of happiness and laughter and respect -
all things sweet bundled together
in a photo album of love and life.

Memories of walks on isolated beaches,
of champagne sipped in modest restauraunts,
of late night snacks,
and afternoon teas.

----------------------
All of this is lost as temptation and lust conquer infidelity,
conquering happiness which lived in the past
but is not certain to live in the future.

All of the memories appear to be forgotten
as if they did not exist - only they had -
and the feelings once shared are lost in the scattered sands
of a desert longing for water.

The photographs and everything that resembles them
are thrown in the air
slipping ever so slowly towards the ground,
defying gravity and all it attachments
keeping the memories alive for just one more moment…

------------------------------------
The Flip Side

Collection of Thoughts (ii)
by Benji

Nature

Refreshing haiku
Reminds unaware souls
Of hidden world
--------------------------

School leavers

Giants out of school
Real world awaits
Small at heart
--------------------------

Spiritual Poverty

Unwilling to view past
Unable to witness future
Spiritual myopia develops
-----------------------------

Pain Arises

Unseen wound trickles blood
eyes witness
pain floats to the surface
-------------------------------

Leaving Home

Sister leaves home
Empty room awaits
Loneliness moves in
----------------------------

Great Distance

Close to finding truth
Stops from weariness
Freedom but a few steps
---------------------------

Looking Forwards

Take a step backwards
Look a distance forwards
Discover new self
------------------------------------

The Flip Side

Collection of Thoughts (i)
by Benji


Human Hands

Pure are the seas
Great distance from harmful hands
Waves crash with peace
---------------------------

Comfort of Routine

Routine, where are you?
You comfort me ask I walk
Rainbow after storm
-----------------------------

Flower Petals Expire

Anniversary
Roses one week too late
Dying in the bin
-----------------------------

News

Evening TV news
children dozing off to sleep
dreams roam to nightmares
-----------------------------

September 11, 2001

Terrorism shock
Shakes city
Tears of globe
-----------------------------

Still empty

Glittered rewards received
Thunder of applause
Receiver still empty
------------------------------------

Middle East

Cease-fire begins
Shots echo in the distance
Hatred unstoppable
----------------------------

The Flip Side