Poem ‘Sweet Nirvicharita’ by Edward Saugstad

When I was small and full of glee
A little thought once came to me.
"Hello. I'm who you are," it said
And quickly it filled up my head.

From this time on, my once cool brain
Got loud and hot under the strain
Of the ego that waged war,
Leaving my soul broken and poor.

I grew up lost inside this web
Of words and vanity instead
Of the freedom I once knew,
When I was young and fresh and new.

Decades passed without respite
From the noise that dulled my life.
Every day I hoped and prayed
That from this heat I would be saved.

Then one busy Christmas Eve,
When I just could not believe
That innocence could ever return
Bringing the joy for which I yearned,

I fell into a fathomless sleep
And heard a sound rise from the deep.
It started with an 'Ah', then 'Ommm'
And rose into a sonic boom.

And suddenly I was aware
Of a baby's loving stare.
Its radiance filled up my mind
With something sweet from beyond time.

And then I heard Its Mother sigh.
That sigh resounded through the sky.
And I felt Her kiss my head -
And the Wind became my friend.

I rose to heights of silent Love
Where Joy rains down from high above,
And saw the Sun, not as a star,
But as a glorious Avatar.

Oh, how my heart did dance and sing
In that sweet, eternal spring!
I thanked the Mother and Her Son
For all the wonderful things they'd done.

Waking up, I smiled to see
A sunbeam on my Christmas tree.
The darkness of my life had passed
And here I was at home, at last.