messages by invisible beings

9.13.2025

photo by Diane Arbus

shadow world

you are here in this world but also
you are in the shadow world
you are an animal prowling the woods
and fields
you are the one feather
that floated back down
and you are the dust mites
that are only visible
in a strong beam of light
here and there
and somewhere beyond

you swim in this ocean of humanity
bound by your mortality this ocean
is lit by the rays of a generous sun
watched over by the strength of the sky
the water is your blood
the sea creatures are your body
your thoughts are waves
you are here in this world
but also you are in the shadow world

come now
time is passing you by
leave your body and rise up swiftly
into the far corners of this universe
when you look back down you can see
your body lying there empty
you are here in this world but now
you are also in the shadow world
look up and do not look down again

—

vowels and consonants

your skin flew from your bones
the way birds fly when they hear a sudden noise
the moon opened wide
and other moons emerged from the gap
there was the noise of a beehive
and each bee carried a diamond to your eyes
this lit up the night
your fingers touched vowels and consonants
your hair was jeweled with punctuation
I rang a bell and a star appeared to keep you warm
moment by moment the night passed
second by second
that which we shared grew strong and tall
we whispered secrets and held each other
like angels holding compassion and the power of god
I told you my secret name
the name that I had never before said aloud
not even once
daylight returned with bees and honey
and a warmth that made sounds of its own
vowels and consonants
and we stayed together
held firm by time and the life we made
by the family that we created

—

standing in that silver doorway

she no longer stands in that silver doorway
just waiting
one breast matched the silver of the doorframe
and with the other she lay in waiting
attacking those people who passed by
with evil marks on their foreheads
light in the water of being
light in the curls of her long hair
light in the messages
left by invisible beings
that she translated into english
for the amusement of the crowd
for the amusement of those cretins
who sat in judgment
light in the arches of her perfect feet
the light of the sun
the sweet blue of the prairie sky
no matter how high she held her hands
the color never rubbed off onto her
like she hoped
asked for
and didn't really believe she deserved
she no longer stands in that silver doorway
waiting with volcanoes in her eyes
she no longer stands in that silver doorway
waiting with the strength of joshua
trembling in her hands and arms
time passes for everyone
for her and for you too
time is part of the secret
the light of living
time is the answer
time is the question
and time is always beyond our control

—

the mountain

her flesh is the mountain
grown powerful with time
your small bites are the fresh snows
on the peaks
the wind against the aeries
she pulls you down
and the avalanche begins
first the small rocks slide down
then the boulders and the roar
here is the mountain
and here far below
are the graceful slopes that lead
to the green valley beyond

—

a rain of frogs

like a rain of fire
a rain of ash covering the earth
with gloom and memory
like a rain of frogs on the sands
of egypt like pharaoh's rage
like stitches in the seams of the trees
infected with sap
like the stink of war in your nostrils
the stink of finality
like the sound of the carrier bolt slapping
the bullet into the well-oiled chamber
like the oil on the beach at santa barbara
like the corpse of the oil-soaked pelican
like draining the earth of its oil
its blood
like death in the morning
death at noon
and death at night
like death dancing
with your father's bones
with your mother's ghost
like the day when you knew you were alone
and the world was empty while the wind blew hot
like the night without stars
without the moon
without love
without hope
like the street musician's monkey
tied to a string
and begging with a little cup
like standing on the sweltering street corner
waiting for the light to change and it doesn't
not ever
like the morning that the sun did not rise
and your soul was empty just empty
like the morning the birds did not sing
and you died with no one to hold you
like the doctor
calling out the time of your death
and turning off the machines
like the priest closing your eyes
and making the sign of the cross above you
like the sheet that they pulled up over your face
like a rain of fire
a rain of frogs
the death of the firstborn
anywhere the door lacks
the blood of the lamb

poems by jobe

---

Old man puts some Stank Eye on a flower.

some quotes I like

It isn't enough for your heart to break because everybody's heart is broken now.

Allen Ginsberg

—

To brighten your life you must widen your heart.

Sri Chinmoy

—

Other people have purpose; I alone don't know. I drift like a wave on the ocean, I blow as aimless as the wind.

Lao Tzu

—

We are here to awaken from our illusion of separateness.

Thich Nhat Hanh