I do believe that, in the same way our souls outlive our bodies, our spirit is somehow encased in our art and, yes, great writing outlasts us.
Who knows where my poetry and short meditations (aka aphorisms) come from and where they go... In the past, I've defined them as 'what is worth quoting from the soul's dialogue with itself.'
With my last book, Where Epics Fail I had been gathering and carrying these brief reflections/inspirational sayings with me for almost a decade, waiting for the right home/publisher.
The decision to place three sayings per page was an afterthought, really, when I was getting ready to publish the book: to allow the (sometimes, dense) thoughts space to breathe on the page, and the reader, too.
But, also, because I realized that, looking back at the 800 or so short meditations included in "Epics", how I was often revisiting similar territory, circling back over the years to elaborate, clarify or deepen an insight. Which is to say, some aphorisms gravitated towards one another that way, as though drawn by invisible magnets, even though they were conceived years apart, I felt that they belonged to one other.
Strange to say, after publishing this book (around 2 years ago) I have not been writing sayings -- even though I continued to read them, for edification, such as the pearls of wisdom composed by Muslim philosopher and Sufi mystic, Ibn 'Ata'llah.
But, for whatever reason, lately, I've been focusing on longer prose, such as the essays in my new book, Revolutions of the Heart.
That said, during these intense, contemplative last couple of months or so, during Covid19 lockdown -- when it feels like time is standing still -- I find that I'm revisiting these brief arts, once more. Here's a peek at moral aphorisms I've been working on:
To anticipate the worst is to contribute towards its realization.
Our longings shape our future. Pessimism poisons life and then wonders why it chokes.
The precious few times I've peered into my crystal ball, I could make out the letters T.R.U.S.T.
The starved think, differently, than the sated.
Gains obtained, unethically, are short-lived—even if they last a lifetime.
Always act as if you're being watched: where the surveillance state and spiritual state are in agreement.
Our insecurities prevent us from recognizing how dearly we are Beloved.
When we are wrongly accused, the punishment still fits the hidden sin.
Let he who is without sin complain about injustice.
*There is no private life; what we do, in secret, is secreted, publicly. *
The master and the novice are not permitted the same mistakes.
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