PUT IT RIGHT YOURSELF an environmental poem by Alun Buffry

 

PUT IT RIGHT YOURSELF

by Alun Buffry

Look down for a moment at this Human race,
From origins to now, changes we trace,
That 'though most of the time we didn't want war,
We let politicians and military men store
Our weapons of hate - or protection they say,
In case we have enemies to strike at one day.
So, now we all stand facing each other,
Knowing all die if man strikes his brother.

Some people here shout about nuclear power;
The atoms are split not to make enemies cower;
Used instead to make heat, movement and light,
But some people feel radiation ain't right.
The burns, they tell us, will start with an itch,
Yet daily we continue to push down the switch,
For the sake of economy and to ease our lives,
To amuse the children and appease the wives.

None of us want deadly fumes in our heads,
Yet most of our cars are still pumping out lead,
And carbon monoxide and satanic gases
Which surround the globe and will choke the masses.
See - we all need to travel and warm up our homes.
It's so far from us that strange ozone.
The scientists, we hope, the solution will find,
While we run round like mad men to satisfy our minds.

We hide away the old, the mental, the spastics,
We dig our big holes and fill them with plastics,
We flush down the toilet with all kinds of shit,
Polluting the rivers and oceans with it.
The fish, they are dying, some species are lost,
We all say we're sorry but won't pay the cost;
Won't give up our luxuries, take care how we tread,
On this our planet, and live gently instead.

There up the road is a chemical factory,
The products, we think, are quite satisfactory.
The pollution it's causes around us, us bugs,
But it's all in the creation of bottles of drugs,
To cure all (they say) of illness and sores,
Forgetting to tell us the factory's the cause.
Ask how can we stop it, make the guilty atone,
When we are all using the same economics at home?
So, next time you notice the rivers all stink,
Remember at home what you put down the sink.
Next time that you feel that the air is impure,
Remember the fumes and the smoke that we pour,
Out of our chimneys and cars. Think of the mammals!
Remember each one of us is in essence an animal.
And if you choose now not to swim in the sea,
Remember the nasties were put there by thee.

One thing we all know in our heads is for sure,
A Huge sacrifice is needed and maybe much more.
We must think of the things that we use and we trash,
What we burn and destroy will have a backlash:
Poisoned air, water and radiation kill slow,
And the poor Human race has nowhere to go.
Unless each person can get into their head,
That the cause and effect will make it all dead. 

 as read by Winston Matthews, RIP 

 

Kicking Balls, a poem by Alun Buffry

 

KICKING BALLS

by
Alun Buffry
(May 2025)

That day did come I said goodbye,
And daily since I'd want to cry,
'Cos heaven's not in cloude on high,
And Angels not up in the sky.

The Master said it's all within,
No Karma comes from past lives sins.
The world we take upon the chin,
And on we struggle thick and thin.

Those that passed on from our sight,,
We wonder if perhaps we might
Meet once more on lofty height
Beyond this world and all its plights.

Illusions monks tell us ia all around
As beaten gongs that speed their sounds,
Vibrating air and through the ground
To free us from our temple mounds.

One day each one of us must go
And only then se'll surely know
The crops that grew from seed we'd sowed.
And answers to our lifetime's woes.

Welive our lives between two walls.
We walk our paths with its pitfalls.
In truth I said, all in all,
What fund I had kicking life's balls.

 

Stardust, a poem by Alun Buffry

 STARDUST

by
Alun Buffry
(May 2025)

In a mountain village far from the sea,
Grows an ancient family tree,
From those people long ago,
To those who nowadays we know.

The youngsters as "Who really cares
What one says or what one wears?"
Whilst elders say "Listen here my sons,
Who really cares? Well you'll be one!"

2You risk your lives in sport and play,,
You hope, I think, you'll survive the day,
To live and prosper well and long
And keep that youthfulness so strong.".

The world we see is not the same
The good old days we seldom blame,
For throwing hope into the trash
And base our lives on counting cash..

We throw out all the children's toys
Seek transient pleasure for our joys
Forgetting who we truely are,
Just dust from some faint and distant stars.

"The Carer" Teacher, Master, Guardian Angel = the One who cares). To those that feel that they are alone

 To those that feel that they are alone

"The Carer" Teacher, Master, Guardian Angel = the One who cares)

There was a man (or woman) walking along the shore with his Carer. They chatted and laughed and the man learned many things and felt safe. Dangers around seemed small and irrelevant, obstacles were not a problem.

When he looked back he could see the two sets of footprints, his and those of his Carer and felt great comfort in that.

But suddenly, in a particularly difficult patch, he felt alone. When he spoke nobody seemed to answer. Nobody seemed to care about his problem and he began to feel sad, devastated, fearful, confused - he looked back and saw only one set of footprints in the sand.

He asked himself - was that an illusion - do I have anyone who cares, who can I turn to for help and guidance? His loneliness was overcoming him, but what could he do but struggle onwards. He didn't even know where he was going or why.

After a while the terrain became easier and he had gotten through it. Just as suddenly a voice sounded next to him and he saw that his Carer was back.

"Why did you leave me alone at such a difficult time when I most needed you?" he asked.

"I never left,"" said the Carer.

"But I looked back and saw only my footprints in the sand," said the man.

"They weren't your prints," replied the Carer, "they were mine. I could see the path ahead was so difficult, so I carried you."

 

Know Thyself, Self-esteem, Self-respect, Self-confidence.

 Know Thyself, Self-esteem, Self-respect, Self-confidence.

"Know Thyself", said a Greek Philosopher (inscribed on the temple of Apollo at Delphi and usually attributed to Socrates).

But what does that mean and how is it attainable? Socrates was probably not the first and not the last teacher of philosopher to consider it important.

According to scriptures, many great Masters said the same, maybe their translated word different but the same.

Jesus Christ instructed his apostles to "Put first the Kingdom of Heaven" and the"The Kingdom is Within"/ Buddha told his followers to look within and find enlightenment. Nowadays many teachers to to inspire people to search within themselves, whether through prayer, meditation or even drugs.

When I hear a person read aloud a poem, a piece from a book, make a speech or sing a song, obviously I want to hear it. It requires a degree of self-confidence, self-esteem and self-respect, which come too with self-knowledge. It's not so much about whether the listener laughs or cries, but that they can hear. And after all, not everyone likes or appreciates every "performer", but the joy for the performer should come with the performance, knowing that one is heard. Or am I wrong and what people think of one is what it should be all about? Is success just about what the world thinks of us? For me, no. It is about what I think of myself, not in an egotistical way, but in a way that brings contentment.

Yet many who have written great words or songs - well - they "mumble".

I always advise people to look up and speak or sing loud enough, if without amplification, as if speaking to the person at the back of the room - without shouting! And if playing, for example, a guitar or piano, I want to hear the words above but along with the tune.

Confidence comes with practice.

I was quite shy as a teenager, especially speaking in public. Even, still somewhat shy is making first approach or contact with one person or small group. If planning to speak, worrying in advance about what to say does not help (writing it down or making bullet points does, so long as we look up when reading or speaking).

Even at University in a tutorial, when the Tutor asked a question and I knew the answer, knew i was correct, i would remain silent even if the other half dozen students did the same!

I remember watching a TV interview of Cliff Richard (remember him? Now Sir Cliff). He was asked how he managed to sing when ins hall with literally hundreds of screaming teenage girls (as was common at that time with many pop stars). He probably couldn't hear himself, most of the audience couldn't either, with a backing band, The Shadow, despite amplification. So it probably didn't matter what the words and what his voice actually sounded like on stage.

His reply was basically he didn't sing to hundred of girts, he just looked at one and sang to her; then looked at another and same to her (or maybe even him). He certainly came across as confident.

So when my time came that i wanted or felt the need to speak to an audience, I employed his technique. And it helped if I had a plant in one of the front rows, somebody i chew that i could look at and who would react, nod, smile or laugh and this encourage me. But it was really all about what was going on inside my head and my feelings.

I read a book called "Feel the fear and Do it Anyway" and that helped too. What did it matter if people disagreed with what I said, even laughed at me? The book explained that most "stars" feel nervous but are able to employ that energy to their benefit.

After all, we are all the same in what counts. Same bodily parts (mostly) same hearts, same blood, same mouths, tongues, brains. Just a little difference in what society likes to call IQ or educational level. We all smiles the same, cry the same, basically. So why should one person feel better or worse than another? We were all born, we all live, we all die, irrespective of wealth, fame, strength, glory or achievement. What are real aim should be is to feel peace, joy, love, contentment within ourselves! What are the obstacles to that? Doubt, confusion, fear, feelings of inadequacy, incompetence, over-dependence - those feelings that the world so often seems to want to put on us. There are more losers in the race than winners. People are singled out for awards and recognition.

What needs to be encouraged, on the contrary, is certainty (knowledge), clarity, equity, self-confidence in independence, self-esteem - that is self-knowledge. Know thyself!

All that is within, the good and the bad, within each one of us, to be sought and found.

"We need to know the difference between what is pleasant and what is good" (Prem Rawat)

Most of us spend our time seeking what is pleasant and often that is not so good for us!

So to sum up, how to make those changes? We need to find somebody that can show us how, beyond words, religion or philosophy, to look within and find our true Nature, our soul, our spirit, our "God" our Self. 

Courage: A Message from Prem Rawat

 

 

 

San Salvadore Market, Monferrato

 

MARRAKECH SUNRISE 1977, a poem by Alun Buffry

MARRAKECH SUNRISE 1977
by
Alun Buffry

Many times we've sat,
And watched a good sunset,
But the beauty of the skies,
Of the Marrakech sunrise!
Behind the Atlas Mountains,
There's a desert full of fountains,
Lakes of pale blue ice,
And golden coloured spice
And yellow sparkling sand,
Suspended from God's hand.
Today a brand new life,
Completely free from strife.

God's Game - a poem by Alun Buffry, Morocco 1977

GOD'S GAME by Alun Buffry

                                                                            Morocco 1977

Left Marrakesh today, to Fez, but on the way,

Felt a lacking of some sort - forgotten my passport!

Got off the bus again, cursing my damned brain,

Went back to where we'd stayed. God's little game was played.

Amidst all this goddam fuss, in little Hotel 'Mus',

I got the passport back! But my head's about to crack!

It's started now to rain. I think I'll catch the train.

'Cos lover must be there and I wish I was with her!

Not possible this time, to use the railway line.

So I sit in sorrow, waiting for tomorrow,

When I hope that I can go, if rain don't turn to snow.

Well the money goes so quick, I'm gonna have a fit,

I want to smoke some stuff and call the devil's bluff.

Illusions all around, and my head aches from the sound

Of rains and cars and mules and stupid tourist fools.

But writing down these lines has made me feel quite fine.

It's just that I couldn't half do with a long hot bath,

And get rid of the dirt, and wash my only shirt,

And jeans and socks and all, and go and have a ball,

In Fez.

Just one of the benefits of practicing the techniques of self-knowledge from Prem Rawat

 Just one of the benefits of practicing the techniques of self-knowledge that Prem Rawat shows is the realisation that I am not my mind! That I am separate from my mind, able to watch it and use it as the tool it's meant to be (sometimes) and not always let it distract me and run my life. I can see how often it misled me into bad decisions and problems. If it were a true servant or someone promising to always help,, well I would doubt their sincerity. The "heart" on the contrary, which I also feel through those techniques, always genuine - feeling not just computing and thinking. I feel so grateful for that and want to pass on the message that real peace and joy and love is within each person and not in the head or in the world outside of us,and that it is a practical experience not a philosophy, belief or religion. That is why I post about Prem Rawat, In case anyone was wondering . Ha!

 

As the Mind flies so the Bird walks to the mountain, OR Zen and the Art of Being Lazy

 

As the Mind flies so the Bird walks to the mountain, 

OR 

Zen and the Art of Being Lazy

(a postcard from Pokhara)

by Alun Buffry

Today, outside, the weather is hazy.

Stayed in all day, feeling quite lazy.

Where to go now, we often talk,

Then decide it's too far to walk.

Two hours there and two hours back,

"Let's stay here, and have a snack".

Just fifteen minutes up to Baba's.

and we know that there, food's better by far,

but here we eat, for our stomachs sake,

whatever's available as it's no effort to make.

"Well", I say, "I guess that's what

a holiday's for on a day that's hot."

"We're free, we don't have to do anything.

We can fly like a bird with a broken wing."

"How can that be, such a bird can't fly?"

"We can't do much either and here is why-

Cos - cor it's hot outside today,

and wherever we go we have to pay",

or "My leg's aching, stiff and weak,

and there's nothing in the bazaar we seek."

"Stomach queasy, or head aching?

Let's be another chillum a-making."

Then, "Let's go in a boat!"

"No, don't want to row!"

Or, "Let's climb that mountain, look at the snow!"

Oh, if only we could get up there and back,

Without having to walk on that mountain track.

If you close your eyes and lay on your bed,

you can go anywhere inside your head.

If you know how to master the Traveller's Trick,

You'll be there in an instant and come back so quick.

Many teachers, one Master - many signposts, one Way

Thinking today about teachers and the Master: I see that there are many teachers and many that have taught me many subjects - maths teachers, language teachers. Science teachers, religious teachers and so on, and many teachers with more than one subject. Even lifestyle teachers and teachers of good or even bad manners or skills.

But even if each teacher had 8000 students it would need a million to teach the world and even with classes of 100 a year it would take 80 years! And how many adults even have a teacher? And how many teachers would remember all their student' s names or students remember their teachers, if that is important?

And how many teachers could actually teach?

It surely takes a student to recognise and appreciate a good teacher.

In many schools we have a head teacher. If the maths teacher teaches maths, what does the head teacher teach?

So what is a Master? Can a person have more than one master at a time?

Ram Dass and others have said that a teacher points the way but The Master is the way

We can surely follow many teachers at a time but maybe best to follow one way at a time to avoid confusion and make progress.

And for me a teacher may instruct through repetition but a Master by example. The student needs practice and effort. For the Master it is natural

So I come to recognise so many can teach me so much but I have only one Master (way).