Old Years Day

Old Year’s Day

Old Year’s Day; Two Thousand and Twenty-Two
Opens on a bed, spread with ancient books

& a seed you drop into the field I become 
Which I water with tears and prayers

Of attention, breath, feeling and imagination
And of course, mad leaps at the end of lines

Which turn me on, and land me on the platform
Where I see you, bubbling and troubling

& I so, so love the old with its maze of connections
& I love the Seed-Bringer, who is primordial, and yet, eternally

Original, and is the mystery I increasingly inhabit
& become – who sees through these eyes, and breathes

In me, and leads me in the ways of the Shepherdess
& yea, though I walk through the valley of her mysteries

I will fear no evil, for she is ceaselessly with me
In tui, koromiko, weka and pūkeko; forever and ever – Amen

~
‘With ancient books;’ I have explored the ancient world of gnosis (experiential knowing) through some very interesting books.  Very early on primitive Christianity was influenced by the Hellenistic (Greek) Gnostic traditions; e.g. the story of the feeding of the 5000, which appears in all four gospels, was established in Greek traditions well before the time of the Teacher. It’s likely it found its way into the gospels via primitive Greek Christians. As Christianity became increasingly centralised the tradition of gnosis was largely stamped out.

‘A single tiny seed:’ refers to The Sayings of Humanity given by the Self (or inner Christ). I water the sayings through; ‘tears and prayers of attention, breath, feeling and imagination’ often this watering happens while I write poetry. In the backdrop to the poem is the saying ‘Art is to be the mystery we inhabit’ i.e. art is the mystery the Self and I inhabit.

‘On the platform where I see you, bubbling and troubling:’ the platform at Te Waikoropupū Springs.

‘Seed-Bringer:’ the Self, inner Christ.

‘& yea, though I walk through the valley… I will fear no evil:’ a shout out to the old; from Psalm 23, King James Version.

‘Koromiko:’ the bellbird.