Om

Consistency is a sobering drone,

which, among its peers, the homophones,

stands out,

lacks a certain harshness of tone,

speaks not in shouts

of brightness, but in darkness and warmth.

Alone, like a whisper

in a hurricane,

or a drifter

in a crowded airport, looking to cop a plane.

Inconspicuous dedication

to fastidious edification,

or just hoping to commandeer

a moment of vacation

from suffocation and cantankerous atmospheres.

"Om..."

one patient syllable,

an unkillable tone, a home

which builds itself inside you.

Where, once, peace defied you

no matter how hard you tried, you

have persisted and found it at last.

Feel free to substitute, "peace,"

with whatever direction

in which you have a net to cast.

And, shipmaster!

Before you weigh anchor

and sail in search of disaster

upon your soulful sea,

heed me closely:

the wind and the waves,

they are your breath and ballast,

not your adversaries,

they bear no heavy malice.

Listen first, and feel

for what the depth of their song carries

before you add your voice.

Harmony is a lucid reaction,

a well-informed choice.