The world is full of Your singing Oh dancing flute player bright Sweet is the thrill of your laughing Filling your loves with delight Soft is the touch of your ruby-like palms Full of great joy are your songs Visions of yours are such soothing balms For you my heart ever longs How can I please You my love, my Lord? How make Your pleasure increase? Cut my illusion with knowledge’s sword From maya please grant my release Not for the purpose of...

Today a friend in Croatia wrote me “Hare Krišna!” and another friend in the UK wrote me of her newborn, and in that mood of missing each of them, I wrote the following, of the pull of travel. From March 2020 I have traded my constant flying and traveling since 2006 for a little room in a temple asrama: It pulls sometimes, the heart’s deep strings To go again, where travel brings me to the homes of friends so dear To have the...

The Sound of Nrsimhadeva before He emerges from the Pillar In three parts From the Bhagavatam (7.8.15-16): Then from within the pillar came a fearful sound, which appeared to crack the covering of the universe. O my dear Yudhisthira, this sound reached even the abodes of the demigods like Lord Brahma, and when the demigods heard it, they thought, “Oh, now our planets are being destroyed!” While showing his extraordinary prowess,...

Bottle of juice it says in the store But really, store clerk, we don’t want anymore. It’s just water and sugar, colored flavor, not nice A chemical drink that one pours over ice. In colors fantastic—bright red and lime green Juice it is not, though at first it might seem Real to those captured in maya’s strong dream But, here! Here’s the juice packed by Krishna so sweet. It’s water and red with some flavor, complete To satisfy us from the heat...

The bowstrings twang Flash! Arrows sang Your glory as the fight’s begun— Arjuna fights the sun god’s son. The weapons blaze upon the sky As soldiers, stunned, are standing by And cowards flee away from fear While you, Krishna, are sitting near. No one’s plans can conquer you Or anyone who serves you true For what you want will come to pass While plans of demons cannot last. Your face far brighter than the moon Shines benediction on Arjuna But...

Everything in life, Lord, you direct Though not seeing you we quickly forget How you’re everywhere and in everything And all life’s situations happiness brings To one who never fails to see your grace Evidence even in the filth of this place So many, Lord, try to come to you I see them around me—Muslim, Hindu and Jew They wear their symbols and garb as I do Telling the world worship is your due Their sentiments inspire, I pay them respect And...