Sprinkling the magic of Awe into the eyes of Children

The hour of my waking tonight
is one AM
It is not unusual for me
though would I could
sleep resiliently through the night
like those not haunted
by spirits like my own

Still — I wake in such dark hours
and sit
listening and basking in the Great Silence
sensing its presence inside
is no less here than in
the furthermost galactic reaches

This night I woke to an inner voice
like a calling out to wake up and extend forth
the gift I offer and would share

it is the experience and knowledge
that you and I—
that we—are not separate
from the vast creative impulse of the universe and Life itself

No! We are part and parcel of it
arise out of its in-breath
and dissolve back into it
with the out-breath
And though we experience
separation in Life—
in the way a child must leave
a mother’s breast to be-come

A man never stands but
what his mother and father
and his entire ancestral lineage
stand with him like the mitochondrial*
DNA in every cell of his body
celebrating that ancient Eve
who herself lived only through
symbiotic relationships with more bacterial
than human cells in her body
as do you and I*

Yes! We are woven of the same symbiotic roots
as is all other Life
and it is but youthful hubris
and existential insecurity
that would think and need to compare
the value of one life or species as better than
and superior to another
as though any single form might exist alone
apart form the fabric of wholeness

And it is the celebration of that whole
even unto its smallest
bits and pieces and parts and components—
green tea leaves and little toe nail clippings
and sub-atomic quarks and galactic dark holes—
that I sing the glory of for
where and who would we be
without any of them?

What else but this suchness of the mundane
would hold and stitch the mysteries of the world together
especially at this time of night
when all of right mind are asleep
and Awareness and Presence and Silence
wonder through and among tall ancient forest trees
and stalk bedrooms across the lands
like a divine trinity
whispering secrets to whoever will listen
and sprinkling the magic of Awe into
the eyes of children

Open my eyes and ears too once again please
my soul wants to cry out
and glories pass with robes flowing like water and wind dancing
and I shrink too with fear
the fear of being seen and heard
for who would I be
were I to know and see
the truth of who I am?

Notes: See National Geographic Genographic Project where for $100 and a swab of cheek tissue you can learn the migration rout of your mitochondrial DNA out of Africa.
See TED Talks Bonnie Bassier on how bacteria talk for a fascinating presentation of this symbiosis and intelligent ‘talking’ bacteria.
Oh, and by the way, what is the truth of who you are?