Paradise Has Two Sides

Paradise Has Two Sides So many think - If there at all - Paradise is someplace further away Than their first thought on being born, Than the thought that will ride out On their last breath, More distant than the last star At the edge of Eternity; Distant as the bell-sound that rung When light first burst forth from blackness. But because I have learnt to love, And love deeply, to the level of each cell, I know that Paradise is really So close you cannot see it, Like your own eyelash, Or the whisperthunder Of your blood moving through your veins. Moreover, Paradise has two sides. If you have a Beloved, it is easy. You can visit every night. You can share directly the You side and the They side. To travel to the You side, Turn in bed and spoon them tightly as you can, Bring every surface into contact, head to toe, Then concentrate on the warmth, the vibrancy That flows from them to you; Savor every breath, as it rises and falls, Feel the singing life that joys to share itself with yours - Do this, then tell me Paradise is not yours every night. To travel to the They side, Flip over, and let them do the same. Do this, then tell me Paradise doesn't have two sides. And if you do, I'll laugh, Then pray for you, my friend. Of course, not all of us have, Or have lost, Our Beloveds. And for these the way is harder, yes- But still there is a Beloved Who waits with patience for us all, And with Them, too, Paradise has two sides. Go to the seaside Or deep into the forest Or any place you can feel alone In the vastness of the world, And quietly wait, - Not expecting anything- And in time that Great Beloved will come to you In a rush of wind, A sigh of waves, Even a drop of rain- And you will find you have never been really alone Even when you most thought you were, For all of this is part of you, And you are part of all of this. The boundaries are illusions; With all Beloveds, none can say Where one begins and the other ends - They are one, and always have been. Turn to the You side, And feel yourself flow into the Infinite. Turn to the They side, And feel the Infinite flow into you. Do this,and tell me Paradise lacks two sides, And I'll laugh, And pray... For Oh Yes, my Brothers and Sisters, There is pain and disappointment along this way. The way is dim and full of confusion, And often we stumble and slip into Hell - But just because Hell exists doesn't negate Paradise; And it doesn't mean Paradise isn't At the tips of our fingers, Just unseen - Waiting to turn its They side to us, Waiting for us to turn our You side to It. Paradise has two sides. Remember this, and turn.