Go to Abundance for more selections by Dane Allred, including other episodes from Bright Space, plus lots more!!
Click on the player to hear an audio version of this piece.
Circling Spheres
Now we are in the darkness,
Separated from the bright light,
But never far from remembering all we knew in that bright space.
As we circle in our own spheres,
We may seem to be apart,
But when my world bumps into yours
When our spheres seem to cross
And that brightness sparks the connection between us,
We remember for a moment, and then forget.
We were all once together until we decided to learn all
We could learn apart.
My sphere isn’t any different than yours
Except it is completely different
And someday, we will all join again together and share
All that we have learned by spinning in
Our separate spheres.
I remember you, and the peace we shared in that bright space.
I long to be there with you again,
But not until we have both learned all we were sent here to do,
All we were sent here to learn,
All we were sent here to share
Before we once again gather, and share that bright space
With everyone once again.
But while we are in this dark space,
Revolving around ourselves,
Seeming separate, but at once united
In our goal to use this time to learn, to grow and experience
The bitter and the sweet
The joyful and the sad
The height and the depth
We could not experience as one.
Watch me as I circle in my sphere inside the dark space.
I am watching you as you circle in your sphere inside the dark space.
When you and I contemplate all of us,
Who are circling in our spheres inside the dark space,
We understand that we are the bright space when we are all together,
And there is no darkness.
That is why I have that feeling I know you
Because I have always known you
And will always know you
We have always been together.
Even though our spheres seem separate
We are part of the whole, and the whole is part of us.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Bright Space -- Past Connection
Go to Abundance for more selections by Dane Allred, including other episodes from Bright Space, plus lots more!!
Click on the player to hear an audio version of this piece.
Bright Space
by Dane Allred
Past Connection
You can feel that past connection
With everyone and everything
From when we were all in the bright light
Together.
There is that residual effect
Where one part of you connects
With another part of the universe
Somewhere distant
But still calling to you
And you are calling to it.
Remember the time we were all one
And we were content?
We basked in the glow of that bright light
And felt that nothing could ever separate us
Nothing could make us want to be apart
Nothing could be better than that time when
We were all one.
But perhaps the brightness blinded us
To what we would have to lose
When we went into the darkness
And gathered ourselves into a separateness
To wonder about that past connection we feel.
We wanted to experience all there was to know
To return and share all we had learned
To understand how good and evil can exist together
And how some cling to the light still within in them
And how others are drawn into the darkness.
We left that perfect place for one less perfect
Knowing it was the only way we could know
All there was to know.
That in our separateness, we would search and reach,
We would learn to find each other again
And realize, we had never really parted.
Though darkness fills the sky
The light connects us.
Though we seem to be apart
We are all there ever was, ever is, and ever will be.
The unity remains, though the separateness seems overpowering.
We struggle to remember those bright moments when we were one
And nothing could have been better.
Unless there was a something, someplace better,
And we realized we had to find out on our own
To live our own individual experiences
To once again return and share
All that is meant by “being”
Because we will have been all there ever was, ever is or ever will be.
I can feel that past connection still.
Click on the player to hear an audio version of this piece.
Bright Space
by Dane Allred
Past Connection
You can feel that past connection
With everyone and everything
From when we were all in the bright light
Together.
There is that residual effect
Where one part of you connects
With another part of the universe
Somewhere distant
But still calling to you
And you are calling to it.
Remember the time we were all one
And we were content?
We basked in the glow of that bright light
And felt that nothing could ever separate us
Nothing could make us want to be apart
Nothing could be better than that time when
We were all one.
But perhaps the brightness blinded us
To what we would have to lose
When we went into the darkness
And gathered ourselves into a separateness
To wonder about that past connection we feel.
We wanted to experience all there was to know
To return and share all we had learned
To understand how good and evil can exist together
And how some cling to the light still within in them
And how others are drawn into the darkness.
We left that perfect place for one less perfect
Knowing it was the only way we could know
All there was to know.
That in our separateness, we would search and reach,
We would learn to find each other again
And realize, we had never really parted.
Though darkness fills the sky
The light connects us.
Though we seem to be apart
We are all there ever was, ever is, and ever will be.
The unity remains, though the separateness seems overpowering.
We struggle to remember those bright moments when we were one
And nothing could have been better.
Unless there was a something, someplace better,
And we realized we had to find out on our own
To live our own individual experiences
To once again return and share
All that is meant by “being”
Because we will have been all there ever was, ever is or ever will be.
I can feel that past connection still.
Bright Space -- You and I
Go to Abundance for more selections by Dane Allred, including other episodes from Bright Space, plus lots more!!
Click on the player to hear an audio version of this piece.
Bright Space
by Dane Allred
You and I
I don’t know when I became self-aware.
I mean in this body, at this time.
There was that self-awareness I had forgotten.
From when we were in that
Bright space together.
But here, and now, I don’t recall when I decided
I am me
And
You are you.
I watch the small children playing and see they know who they are.
They don’t answer to the names of the other children
And seem to know they are separate.
We all remember the time when the universe revolved around us,
When everything was designed to serve us,
To amuse us,
And ceased to exist when we went away to something else.
This fragment of memory of our time together in the
Bright space holds us in a spell
Telling us we are all connected
We are all the same
We have been together before,
But then the separateness denies that truth
And parts us into our own worlds.
I move about in mine,
Forgetting that you and I came here to experience all we could
So that we could be together again in that
Bright space
And share all that we had learned.
We move about from day to day as if there was no connection
Between all I do and all you do,
All that is done by everyone else everywhere else.
We forget all that has been done
Connects us to this very second
To this very thought at this very moment
And then we move on to the next moment to see what else we can learn.
It has taken me a while to see that
I am You
and
You are Me.
Circulating about in our own lives to create this shared meaning now
And to create the end result.
Some have endured hardship, affliction, and suffering
So we can all discover how deep these pains can be.
To share all we have learned,
To realize all we have in common.
To appreciate the experience of each and every one.
Click on the player to hear an audio version of this piece.
Bright Space
by Dane Allred
You and I
I don’t know when I became self-aware.
I mean in this body, at this time.
There was that self-awareness I had forgotten.
From when we were in that
Bright space together.
But here, and now, I don’t recall when I decided
I am me
And
You are you.
I watch the small children playing and see they know who they are.
They don’t answer to the names of the other children
And seem to know they are separate.
We all remember the time when the universe revolved around us,
When everything was designed to serve us,
To amuse us,
And ceased to exist when we went away to something else.
This fragment of memory of our time together in the
Bright space holds us in a spell
Telling us we are all connected
We are all the same
We have been together before,
But then the separateness denies that truth
And parts us into our own worlds.
I move about in mine,
Forgetting that you and I came here to experience all we could
So that we could be together again in that
Bright space
And share all that we had learned.
We move about from day to day as if there was no connection
Between all I do and all you do,
All that is done by everyone else everywhere else.
We forget all that has been done
Connects us to this very second
To this very thought at this very moment
And then we move on to the next moment to see what else we can learn.
It has taken me a while to see that
I am You
and
You are Me.
Circulating about in our own lives to create this shared meaning now
And to create the end result.
Some have endured hardship, affliction, and suffering
So we can all discover how deep these pains can be.
To share all we have learned,
To realize all we have in common.
To appreciate the experience of each and every one.
Bright Space -- Beginnings
Go to Abundance for more selections by Dane Allred, including other episodes from Bright Space, plus lots more!!
Click on the player to hear an audio version of this piece.
Bright Space
by Dane Allred
Beginnings
You were there.
So was I.
Everyone and everything that ever was, is, or will be
Was there.
There was nothing else, no other place, and no other time except
That bright space where we all were.
All united in the peace of that bright space
Yet at once all individual.
We were content.
We were at rest in the never ending and
Never beginning
Bright space.
Every idea, every thought
To be thought was there.
There was no time because there was all time.
There was no rush because there was nowhere to go.
At peace, we rested in the blissful knowledge
Of all that was,
Of all that is,
Of all that ever will be.
But then that nagging doubt began.
What if there is something else?
Something not here now
That we could discover if we were not
Resting together in that bright space?
Something we could only discover if we
Became separate
And left the bright place
Of peace and content and rest.
Could there be more if I was not with you
And you were not with me?
What would such a something else be like?
What would make me want to leave you
And for you to leave me
That would be worth abandoning
All that we had ever known
All that we had ever been?
That was when the answer appeared.
Apart, we could be more.
Apart we would find things we could never find
If all of us remained in this peaceful, restful, contented
Bright space.
So we decided to leave.
We would have to become separate for a while
So we could experience all we couldn’t experience together.
We agreed to return and share all that we had learned
So that in our new bright space
We would have no more doubt about
What could be
What we could know
What we could become.
We promised we would remember all we would experience
When we were together again.
And then truly be at peace.
Click on the player to hear an audio version of this piece.
Bright Space
by Dane Allred
Beginnings
You were there.
So was I.
Everyone and everything that ever was, is, or will be
Was there.
There was nothing else, no other place, and no other time except
That bright space where we all were.
All united in the peace of that bright space
Yet at once all individual.
We were content.
We were at rest in the never ending and
Never beginning
Bright space.
Every idea, every thought
To be thought was there.
There was no time because there was all time.
There was no rush because there was nowhere to go.
At peace, we rested in the blissful knowledge
Of all that was,
Of all that is,
Of all that ever will be.
But then that nagging doubt began.
What if there is something else?
Something not here now
That we could discover if we were not
Resting together in that bright space?
Something we could only discover if we
Became separate
And left the bright place
Of peace and content and rest.
Could there be more if I was not with you
And you were not with me?
What would such a something else be like?
What would make me want to leave you
And for you to leave me
That would be worth abandoning
All that we had ever known
All that we had ever been?
That was when the answer appeared.
Apart, we could be more.
Apart we would find things we could never find
If all of us remained in this peaceful, restful, contented
Bright space.
So we decided to leave.
We would have to become separate for a while
So we could experience all we couldn’t experience together.
We agreed to return and share all that we had learned
So that in our new bright space
We would have no more doubt about
What could be
What we could know
What we could become.
We promised we would remember all we would experience
When we were together again.
And then truly be at peace.
Walking into Walls
Go to Abundance for more selections by Dane Allred, including other episodes from Rules of Engagement, plus lots more!!
Click on the player to hear an audio version of this episode.
Walking into Walls
Even if you have lived in the same place for decades, my advice is not to walk around in the dark. I had been lulled into a false sense of security. I have walked across our front room for more than 20 years, but usually it is daylight, or at night the lights are on. There are three different lights in the front room, including the ceiling light, two table lamps hooked up to another wall switch, and the front entry light. Every time I needed illumination, it was there. The sun or the lamp, dependable and always available, and this was my downfall.
When you cross a space confidently for years, day after day, night after night, you begin to believe no light is necessary. Take a certain number of steps to the hall, at a certain angle, and walk directly back to the bedroom or den, or even the bathroom. After five decades, I was secure in the knowledge of my stride, the speed and orientation necessary to make it into the hall every time. My pride welled up and puffed my chest, and made me believe there was no new thing to be learned in the front room. So who needs light?
If I hadn't hurt myself so many times in the past with such alarming frequency and impunity, I probably would have excused myself this one lapse. But I know better than to try adventuring in the dark. Never mind that I had been lying on the couch reading for half-an-hour, and rose up confidently to go to bed. No matter that as I weaved from the couch to the light switches on the wall, I was a little wobbly. Lying down on a bed and getting up fast can be deadly when you're this old anyway, especially if you consider the medications I take, one of which can cause fainting if you rise too fast. It's a good medication with a small side effect, and I am pretty dizzy most times anyway. Light-headedness is a small price to pay for better health.
But on this particular night, and for no particular reason, I concluded that my long years of trekking across this same front room meant I no longer needed light. I confidently switched off the hall light, the small table lamps, and without another thought, the ceiling light. After all, it was only a few steps across the carpet to the hall, where I could switch on the hall light if I wanted. I swaggered across the darkness, fully expecting to run the gauntlet of the hall without trouble to a peaceful night's sleep. But somewhere between the beginning of my journey and the other side of the room, in the six or seven steps across the carpet, I veered seriously to the left. I was walking at a good clip, nonchalantly anticipating my entry into the hallway, when what to my wandering feet should appear but the far wall of the room.
My forehead met the wall first. I must lead with my forehead when I walk, and I must have been walking 3 or 4 miles per hour. The wall was not moving at all.
If you have ever head butted someone, you will be familiar with the very next sensation I experienced. If you have never had the thrill of banging your head forcefully against the forehead of another person, try walking into a wall. It was so similar, for several seconds I believed I had head butted my wife in the middle of the hall, and proceeded to apologize profusely. The wall stood stoically and took it. When I didn't find my sweetheart's collapsed form on the floor, I realized I had fallen victim to my own hubris. I reached up and felt the blood running into my eyes from the cleft in my skin. A one-inch gash split my forehead wide open.
Turning on the hall light and walking directly to the bathroom, I patted the blood from my forehead for the next hour as the wound eventually sealed. I thought about going to get 5 or 6 stitches at the emergency room, but that would involve driving myself to the hospital with one hand or waking up the wife and asking her to take me, and then I wouldn't have a badge of honor to wear for my stupidity.
There is a nice thin scar running vertically just above my left eyebrow. Sometimes a visual reminder is better than a lecture. I'm sure I won't be walking across the front room in the dark for at least another decade or two. But with how slowly I learn, it may happen again next week. Just remember, lights are our friends. They can help you from head butting the wall.
Click on the player to hear an audio version of this episode.
Walking into Walls
Even if you have lived in the same place for decades, my advice is not to walk around in the dark. I had been lulled into a false sense of security. I have walked across our front room for more than 20 years, but usually it is daylight, or at night the lights are on. There are three different lights in the front room, including the ceiling light, two table lamps hooked up to another wall switch, and the front entry light. Every time I needed illumination, it was there. The sun or the lamp, dependable and always available, and this was my downfall.
When you cross a space confidently for years, day after day, night after night, you begin to believe no light is necessary. Take a certain number of steps to the hall, at a certain angle, and walk directly back to the bedroom or den, or even the bathroom. After five decades, I was secure in the knowledge of my stride, the speed and orientation necessary to make it into the hall every time. My pride welled up and puffed my chest, and made me believe there was no new thing to be learned in the front room. So who needs light?
If I hadn't hurt myself so many times in the past with such alarming frequency and impunity, I probably would have excused myself this one lapse. But I know better than to try adventuring in the dark. Never mind that I had been lying on the couch reading for half-an-hour, and rose up confidently to go to bed. No matter that as I weaved from the couch to the light switches on the wall, I was a little wobbly. Lying down on a bed and getting up fast can be deadly when you're this old anyway, especially if you consider the medications I take, one of which can cause fainting if you rise too fast. It's a good medication with a small side effect, and I am pretty dizzy most times anyway. Light-headedness is a small price to pay for better health.
But on this particular night, and for no particular reason, I concluded that my long years of trekking across this same front room meant I no longer needed light. I confidently switched off the hall light, the small table lamps, and without another thought, the ceiling light. After all, it was only a few steps across the carpet to the hall, where I could switch on the hall light if I wanted. I swaggered across the darkness, fully expecting to run the gauntlet of the hall without trouble to a peaceful night's sleep. But somewhere between the beginning of my journey and the other side of the room, in the six or seven steps across the carpet, I veered seriously to the left. I was walking at a good clip, nonchalantly anticipating my entry into the hallway, when what to my wandering feet should appear but the far wall of the room.
My forehead met the wall first. I must lead with my forehead when I walk, and I must have been walking 3 or 4 miles per hour. The wall was not moving at all.
If you have ever head butted someone, you will be familiar with the very next sensation I experienced. If you have never had the thrill of banging your head forcefully against the forehead of another person, try walking into a wall. It was so similar, for several seconds I believed I had head butted my wife in the middle of the hall, and proceeded to apologize profusely. The wall stood stoically and took it. When I didn't find my sweetheart's collapsed form on the floor, I realized I had fallen victim to my own hubris. I reached up and felt the blood running into my eyes from the cleft in my skin. A one-inch gash split my forehead wide open.
Turning on the hall light and walking directly to the bathroom, I patted the blood from my forehead for the next hour as the wound eventually sealed. I thought about going to get 5 or 6 stitches at the emergency room, but that would involve driving myself to the hospital with one hand or waking up the wife and asking her to take me, and then I wouldn't have a badge of honor to wear for my stupidity.
There is a nice thin scar running vertically just above my left eyebrow. Sometimes a visual reminder is better than a lecture. I'm sure I won't be walking across the front room in the dark for at least another decade or two. But with how slowly I learn, it may happen again next week. Just remember, lights are our friends. They can help you from head butting the wall.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Abundance Kids Nov. 21st
Go to Abundance for more selections, including other original pieces by Dane Allred and his audio versions of many famous short stories and poems called Literature Out Loud, plus lots more!!
Click on the player to hear the entire episode of "Abundance" called "Kids" from Nov. 21st.
Click on the player to hear the entire episode of "Abundance" called "Kids" from Nov. 21st.
Thy Holy Face by Dane Allred
Go to Abundance for more selections, including other original pieces by Dane Allred and his audio versions of many famous short stories and poems called Literature Out Loud, plus lots more!!
Click on the player to hear this selection from "Prayers of Devotion".
Thy Holy Face
by Dane Allred
As I draw near by word and prayer
To Thou my Lord so true,
I now behold Thy Holy Face
In all I see and do.
I marvel at thy mighty works
Near me on every side.
I now behold Thy Holy Face
In thy works far and wide.
Surrounded now on every side
By friends and family,
I now behold Thy Holy Face
In all those that I see.
In all the people of this world
In both those near and far,
I now behold Thy Holy Face;
Be Thou my guiding star.
Click on the player to hear this selection from "Prayers of Devotion".
Thy Holy Face
by Dane Allred
As I draw near by word and prayer
To Thou my Lord so true,
I now behold Thy Holy Face
In all I see and do.
I marvel at thy mighty works
Near me on every side.
I now behold Thy Holy Face
In thy works far and wide.
Surrounded now on every side
By friends and family,
I now behold Thy Holy Face
In all those that I see.
In all the people of this world
In both those near and far,
I now behold Thy Holy Face;
Be Thou my guiding star.
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