Thinning of the Veils

By Carl Hitchens

Thinning of the Veils is a work of spiritual, socially-relevant poetry and memoir. Drawing on personal life experiences, the author weaves a spell of tactile-felt memories that have been instrumental in his growth in awareness. Intermingled with observational looks at patterns of human activity, its poems suggest correlations and differentness uncommonly entertained about conscious and unconscious states.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Carl Hitchens
• Release date: Jun 21, 2018
• ISBN: 9780989719841

Carl Hitchens

Carl Hitchens is a poet, storyteller, essayist, and blogger. His publishing credits include the books: "Thinning of the Veils (single-author poetry collection – Carl Hitchens–Drumtalk June 2018, "Shades of Light" (single-author poetry collection) – iUniverse 2013 and "Sitting with Warrior" (historical-memoir/myth) – iUniverse 2010-13, as well as the contributed poem, "Breath of Fire" (anthology, Meditation on Divine Names, Editor Maja Trochimczyk – Moonrise Press 2012.

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THINNING OF THE VEILS

carl hitchens

Drum Talk

new mexico, placitas

87043 USA

THINNING OF THE VEILS

Copyright © 2018 by Carl Hitchens

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author.

Drum Talk

Placitas, NM 87043

USA

http://www.drumtalk-hitch.com/DrumTalkBooks/Books-Home.html

ISBN: 978-0-9897-198-3-4 (ebk)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018907038

Drum Talk date: 06/20/2018

Table of Contents

THE VEILS OF MYSTERY

THE VEIL OF REASON

RUNNING WILD

HEARING AID

DEPARTURE

THE DEAR DEPARTING

WHEN ALL THE TALES ARE TOLD

AFFIRMATIVE SUBTRACTION

A TIME FOR REASON

DESCENT

ROAD

THE VEIL OF DREAMS

TRIMMING DOWN

OVER A CUP

THINNING OF THE VEILS

THE VEIL OF CLEAR LIGHT

NOW

CLEAR LIGHT

CLARITY

THE AURICLES OF ORACLE

THE SEA

SHADES OF LIGHT

A DROP OF OCEAN

THE VEIL OF GLASS

THE GLASS CEILING

THE VEIL OF GLASS

GLASSY EYES

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

FROM WHENCE DO WE LOOK?

ART

PERFORMANCE ART

LIGHT WILL OVERCOME

VYK’S POEM

MYSTAGOGUES

THE EYES DO TELL

STRUT AND SASHAY

THE WAY TO PEACE

ABYSSINIA

YOU ARE THE FUTURE

SACRED BREW (A SONG)

SPIRITUAL WARRIOR

OVERCOMING GRAVITY

THE VEILS OF MYSTERY

These self-revealing veils

are not veiled reality

but reality hidden

by our own mystery

We like being mysterious

being cloaked and unfathomable

being not average

being separate

and thereby different

Difference leading

to individuality

to uniqueness

to rarity

to eons and lifetimes

of dissatisfaction,

of blind searching

for what’s under our noses—

inside the pages

of our personal stories,

but overwritten by fiction

Tales full of purpose and duty,

charged with self-potency

but enfeebled by our own

blind pursuit of some—thing

when no—thing is All there is.

THE VEIL OF REASON

RUNNING WILD

Finding our way

through the veil of reason,

through its crime of treason

against truth—

an affliction of sight

obscuring clear light

and clear mind

Finding our way

through the winds of change

through the infinite range

of pain and joy,

the tangle and mire

of propitious and dire

probabilities meted out

From the heat and cold

of the highs and lows

of where the wind blows

by chance or luck,

we seek equanimity

born of proximity

to ultimate awareness

Thus, gaining a foothold

in real perception,

quartered not in intellection

bricked and mortared solid

as edifices of truth

cooked into proof

but challenged by constipation

The indigestibility

of mountaineering

without cautious fearing

of the peaks of assumption—

perhaps only diversions

falsehoods of incursions

of false belief

Mountains of fictitious facts—

the gospel according

to whoever’s recording

their Golden Fleece moments—

homologated on high,

on reaching the sky

beyond mere mortals

Peace of mind

for mind’s sake

in an ever shifting landscape

of questions and mystery,

where fact and fiction

carry equal suspicion,

unless one believes

Belief that brings

the dogs of war,

with their blood and gore,

or the cat’s-paw

ruffling the waters of peace

that come and cease

in the tease of duality

The good and bad

raining down

on saints and clowns—

the leaven of life

and coming death,

the mystery of breath

that giveth and taketh

Every dark night

has a bright day

coming its way,

as certain as certainty

can rise and fall,

stumble and stall

on the good life

The horn of righteousness

not withstanding,

trumpeting the landing

gate of the late insured,

or the late damned

whose planned

coverage lapsed

Non-payment of virtue

a gourd of ashes:

salvation crashes,

as coverage dies

to original sin —

preconditioned clause its in

peeking through the fine print

Weary nomads

in a hostile world

of destinies born and unfurled

on great hegiras,

through time and reflection

and the projection

of speculative reality

The tempest clouds

of life’s disfavor

for easy labor—

stormy weather’s better

for the seeking of shelter

from the helter-skelter

of crazy teaching

Reason follows us along

for a piece

but like a slum lord lease,

runs away fast

when things break;

It just can’t take

the cost of running wild.