The Poet's Quill: Musings of Mind and Spirit

By J. Michaels

The poet's quest is one of wide magnitude. He or she must explore the untapped regions of mind and spirit and then proceed to paint a picture in words of that strange and mysterious landscape. The book before you is such a picture, depicting a new yet ancient province of the soul.
By middle age, it starts to become obvious to most of us that we operate with a split mind; the lesser mind that focuses on the acquisition and defense of things and the higher mind that impels us to a more unified reality. With age and experience, the acquisition of wealth, status, and sophistication start to pale in comparison to the more etheric goals of peace, freedom, and union with our Creator. As we start to notice a shorter road ahead than behind, we seek a more meaningful existence. We intensify our search for union with our earthly brothers and our heavenly Father. In effect, we require a reality based on our need to be free, whole, and eternal. By now, we are far too skeptical to accept wishful thinking as our truth, yet still yearn for an intellectual and spiritual certainty that we can believe in simply because the case for it is far too compelling to ignore.
After several decades of just such a search I discovered a path that, at long last, gave me confidence in the truth of a divine Mind and Spirit. That path led me to a place that my soul knew and honored as divine. From that connection and in that place, this book was born.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Resource Publications
• Release date: Jul 1, 2009
• ISBN: 9781621896982

J. Michaels

J. Michaels is a longtime student of the human adventure. His writing challenges popular beliefs and expresses both the profane and the profound in a unique storytelling style, as evidenced in the Musings of Mind and Spirit poetry series. His novella, Treasure of the Mind, is a unique blend of prose and poetry based on the murder of his son. Reach him at [e-mail] or see his work at www.overnightpoet.com.

Book preview

The Poet’s Quill

Musings of Mind and Spirit

J. Michaels

2008.Resource_logo.pdf

The Poet’s Quill

Musings of Mind and Spirit

Copyright © 2009 J. Michaels. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.

Resource Publications

A Division of Wipf and Stock Publishers

199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3

Eugene, OR 97401

www.wipfandstock.com

ISBN 13: 978-1-60608-866-1

EISBN 13: 978-1-62189-698-2

Manufactured in the U.S.A.

to Tam and Sash,

the dearest of my beloved family

Preface

In the year of our Lord, two thousand and eight, the dream insisted it be heard by the fitful sleeping man. That dream came in the form of a poem that would not yield to sleep. After it became obvious that arising and recording the words would be the only way to ensure any rest, the man awoke and looked at his bedside clock. It read exactly 3:33am. At that time, a tale of two brothers named, oddly enough, Nicobod and Ichobod, was born. Unknown to the dreamer and soon-to-be poet, much more than he could possibly know was also being bred.

Nicobod and Ichobod went up the hill

Through the valley and round the bend

They went high and they went low

They went to and they went fro

From here to there they went

Looking up but fell down

Looking for good but evil found

Searching for truth, looking for peace

Til they came upon a stone

A large obstacle in their way

They pushed and shoved

They pulled and prodded

But the stone remained

And ever will, until they know

Where lives the stone

And its refrain

Reluctantly written, the ode became the first of several hundred the man would write before his poems would make their way into the public domain. Strangely enough, Nicobod and Ichobod did not go to print first. The first book of poems containing their small adventure was destined to arrive after a second volume, which you now hold in your hands. In the months following the birth of the boys of similar name a series of small miracles occurred. Although more poems were destined to arrive in the sleeping state, more and more they arrived when the man was awake, usually after or during his morning meditations. Though not as insistent as the original, they came without invitation at first. A word, a title, a thought was all that foretold arrival. As the man became accustomed to the late night interruptions and the morning appearances, he began to welcome them. The man’s life was inexorably changed from that point onward.

That man of course, was me. Although I had, like many men, written the occasional love poem for my wife on Valentine’s Day or her birthday, this was completely different. And despite the fact that I had pursued a rather unconventional spiritual path most of my life, I was unprepared for the volume, depth, and profound nature of what was to become the center of my life. Many times over the years I have asked for guidance. Many times I have prayed for a vision or enlightenment that would validate my course. Just before one of my darkest hours was to arrive, the answer came in the form of a book. I have read hundreds, possibly thousands, of books in my life and the vast majority was of a spiritual nature. But never before had I read anything that I knew was true.

The book, A Course in Miracles, was given to me by my wife shortly before the death of my mother. Although I found it difficult to understand at first, a deep inner knowing relentlessly drove me to continue reading. The more I read, the more I was convinced I had been given a gift from a divine source. A few years later, after what was by now a daily study of The Course, my young son was murdered by a boy he once considered his best friend. I will never forget the feeling of dread as I stood at my front door facing the police who had come to call late that night. I knew, even before they said anything, that it was about Christopher and that our lives would never be the same after the next few moments. My son’s violent and pointless death was the most difficult event in my life. It almost destroyed me. And I believe it would have, had it not been for my loving family and this strange new book that had taught me the true meaning of forgiveness.

Reviews for The Poet's Quill

[iwatson_39 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The back cover says " The Poet's quest is one of wide magnitude. He or she must explore the untapped regions of mind and spirit and then proceed to paint a picture in words of that strange and mysterious landscape. The book before you is such a picture, depicting a new yet ancient province of the soul."Wow. Just reading that set me into a contemplation mode to start pondering the work of J. Michaels. But, there was more than pondering. I didn't start from the beginning but did my usual flip to a page, knowing it was exactly the piece I was supposed to read at that moment. It is "Direction Home" and starts as:So much that constrains usWe do not even seeThoughts and beliefs within usTelling us what we must beDenial, the enemy that precludes usFrom seeing as we areHiding the beliefs that bind usAnd Keeping us divided so farAnd ends with:We truly left our homeBut only in dreams did we do soIn Mind we shall returnSo know that Paradise is not the illusionBut the world made without loveWe have but to leave it behind usSeeing direction only from aboveThis is only a small sampling of J. Michaels' musings and as you can see it is deep, contemplative, and reflective. It is obvious he when wrote his pieces it was from his heart and soul, a place where we all can connect. But, there is more. There is a connection to a Deity giving us a true path to discover Divine Order within ourselves. Reading each musing over a period of a few days I felt a resonance unlike others. I encourage you to read the works of J. Michaels and find the place within yourself that will take you to your truth.