On the gateway of the temple

Here I stand
unsure of what lies ahead

the wind
lets me savor the moment, for it comes to me
wild and impetuous

as the desert is punctuated by long
and shadowy silhouettes of rose, tumbleweed and cactus.

The human heart is a temple
where bluish thoughts swirl with monochrome pulse waves
hear its affirmation,
its faith as real as water, as sand and as stars in the sky,
yet I dare not move
I don’t even breathe, I am frozen to the spot
my heartbeat echoes in my ears,
a grave reminder of my own impermanence

my madeira mortality,
because like you
I too am skeptical of its ideas, its jarring philosophy
and belligerent attitude.

Still, the heart is gospel
if the pressures of life are gaining upon you
come, enter
and roam the corridors of the sacred temple.
Believe that a soulful person is not overly influenced
by external factors
and no matter how implacable the norms and values
of culture
builds his own way for personal growth and progression.

 

Photo credits: The Temple by Tomasz Zaczeniuk

Posted for Art Collaboration @ Real Toads

40 thoughts on “On the gateway of the temple

  1. Kerry says:

    The human heart is a temple… This is a very evocative metaphor, Sanaa. You developed the idea beautifully throughout the poem.
    if the pressures of life are gaining upon you
    come, enter
    and roam the corridors of the sacred temple…

    This is very sound advice. Thank you for participating in the collaboration and also sharing on Instagram.

    1. Sanaa says:

      Awww gosh! ❤️ Thank you so much, Kerry 😍 so glad you liked it! ❤️

      (and thank you for the lovely prompt) 🌹

  2. Bjorn Rudberg says:

    I love what you saw in the picture… a sacred gateway to a temple… I saw a crumbling library, you saw the hope and hesitation we face when being led to take the next step into the unknown.

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Bjorn 😀 so glad you enjoyed it ❤️

  3. I saw the end of civilization as well, but without hope. The heart and the soul both are temples.

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Toni 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️

  4. Thotpurge says:

    its faith as real as water… nice use of the temple metaphor for the heart…

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Rajani 😀 so good to see you ❤️

  5. Jim says:

    A fun read going through here, Sanaa. It made me wonder if John Lennon had thoughts like this. I have lately read his “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.”
    ..

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Jim 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️

  6. Marian says:

    Wow, love that second “bluish thoughts” stanza in particular. Just stellar!

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Marian 😀 so glad you enjoyed it ❤️

  7. Sara McNulty says:

    I love your interpretation of this. Human heart as temple. Lovely poem, Sanaa!

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Sara 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️

  8. I love this Sanaa- fantastic interpretation.

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Linda 😀 so glad you enjoyed it ❤️

  9. Your interpretation is perfect. The heart is a temple and you have shown that beautifully in you poem.

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Susie 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️

  10. kaykuala h says:

    and no matter how implacable the norms and values
    of culture builds his own way for personal growth and progression.

    How very true! Sanaa! For once triggered off it finds its way on its own strength. That’s the beauty of habits and talents working together

    Hank

    1. Sanaa says:

      Definitely 😀 thanks for stopping by, Hank ❤️

  11. Rommy says:

    Trusting the heart’s gospel over the expectations and rules one has grown up with demands a leap of faith. Here’s hoping that the faithful will have their courage rewarded.

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Rommy 😀 so good to see you ❤️

  12. I like “the human heart is gospel” and was thinking even we are red white and blue.

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Colleen 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️

  13. Timoteo says:

    You caught me off guard with “madeira mortality”–I’ve decided that’s what delights me about reading good poetry…it’s the unexpected word, phrase or line that separates greatness from mediocrity. Reading your work is always a great pleasure, Sanaa!

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Timoteo 😀 so glad you enjoyed it ❤️

  14. HA says:

    This ode to self-realization and personal development is very thoughtful and humanistic in its tone and evoked imagery — the temple as a symbol works wonderfully. I love your poetic voice more than anything here, which is both assertive and empathetic. 🙂

    1. Sanaa says:

      Awwww gosh! ❤️ Thank you so much, Anmol 😀 so glad you liked it! ❤️

  15. annell4 says:

    Love your write!!

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Annell 😀 so good to see you ❤️

  16. I LOVE the human heart as temple….the bluish thoughts….and the faith “as real as water, as sand, as stars in the sky.” Just beautiful, Sanaa.

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Sherry 😀 so glad you enjoyed it ❤️

  17. “the heart is gospel”

    How I love this words. I can’t say that the phrase have even occurred to me before. But they bring so many images in to being–the thought of love is religion that happens in the body, for instance. I really like that.

    1. Sanaa says:

      Awww gosh! ❤️ Thank you so much, Magaly 😀 so glad the words resonated with you! ❤️

  18. Beautiful imagery, Sanaa, especially in the lines:
    ‘…the desert is punctuated by long
    and shadowy silhouettes of rose, tumbleweed and cactus’
    and I love the metaphor ‘The human heart is a temple’.

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Kim 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️

  19. robtkistner says:

    Love where you went with this Sanaa, beautiful. I went a a bit dark with mine.

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Rob 😀 so glad you enjoyed it ❤️

  20. Kerry says:

    Sometimes we have to go back to basics to find ourselves.

    1. Sanaa says:

      Definitely ❤️ Thanks for stopping by, Kerry ❤️

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