An Open Book
I pray that I may be an open book,
A simple person on a simple path,
Where all my words flow seamless as a brook,
To find a sea of love unswayed by wrath.
For to pursue You is the path that’s pure,
The honest way by which the honest souls
Can know a love that will always endure—
The timeless treasure hailed in timeless scrolls.
I yearn to weep for You as a newborn
Starts weeping for its mother’s sweet embrace,
With tears of innocence from cries forlorn,
An open book that seeks a placid grace.
So may the chapters of my life read true,
And speak of days I strove in praise of You.
Thank You
Thank You, my Lord, for all that You have done;
Thank You for giving the things that we need.
You hand us life like the well-wishing sun,
And I thank You for each benignant deed.
You yearn to give us all that we can hold,
But our desires do burn for dreams undue,
And left unchecked, they grow to manifold,
For dreams are best when dreams are dreamt for You.
I pray one day that we may simply see
Our need for love’s the only need that’s true,
And troubles faced are there to set us free,
For You do give to give one life anew.
David McMahon (spiritual name: Damodara Das) is a monk in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. He published a small collection of devotional poetry in August 2024 entitled Poems On The Path. He is currently based in Watford, United Kingdom.
Amen1 I can tell these are from the heart.
Hi Roy.
Thank you very much for your kind words.
And just to also mention in the fourth line of the poem “An Open Book” the words “bereft of” have been changed to “unswayed by”.
Fixed!
Hi Mike.
Thank you very much!
Simple, honest, and beautifully timeless both, David. “The Open Book,” I would say, is a finer poem, thanks to the overarching image of a book capable of containing and developing the other images as the story of a life. But “Thank You” also shows an interesting progression from gratitude to giver to the greatest gift and how to recognize it.
Hi Margaret.
Thank you very much for taking the time to provide such in depth and nicely articulated feedback, I really appreciate it.
Commitment to the unnamed author of everything is never out of place, and this named author has carved out a space where every pilgrim can take some rest. Carry on.
Hi.
Thank you very much, Mr Anderson, for your profound and poetic message of reassurance.