Between

Allan W. Anderson, Ph.D. was a gifted religious linguist and a teacher at the Philosophy and Religious Studies departments at San Diego State University. He was well-known for his eighteen one-hour dialogues with J. krishnamurti, which were broadcasted on TV in 1975 and were later published as a book and DVDs set entitled ‘A Wholly Different Way of Living’. It is said on his website that “his soul was that of a poet, his pen and mind happiest in verse.” I am happy to share here two of his poems. The first poem came with this introduction: “Our natural state abides in the time between times which is the timely, the ever present and unprecedented now, obedient to the suasions of Heaven in which is perfect freedom—the freedom from having to choose. Visionary matters are notoriously difficult to communicate and prose is not the happiest medium to convey them. So I shall try a poem and call it: Between.”

 

Between

Who can wander for a lifetime
In the valley, on the hill
And not see the face of heaven
On the swift and in the still

On the swift and shining waters
In the smooth wet-molded stone,
Wide heaven beds among them
Lies where all the leaves are blown

And the wafted leaf in autumn
Comes, like us, to find its ground
Falling where the hand of heaven
Cups the seeker and the found.

~ Allan W. Anderson

 

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Then

In those days there came such sounds
As now I never hear
All songs that fall upon a child
Before he looks on fear

For then the whirr of tiny wings
The language of the leaves
Came fresh as whispers from the sea
When ocean heaves

In days when we were very small
And in that ageless long ago
Before the Real was dreamed
The wonders met were plainly known
To be just what they seemed.

~ Allan W. Anderson

 

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‘Between’ is from ‘Inner Directions’ website

‘Then’ is from ‘Songs from the Mifflinger Sea and a little cove of Nonsense’

Picture by Alain Joly

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Read Pr Anderson’s essay on ‘Inner Directions’ website, ‘Bearing and Understanding’ and the beautiful homage, ‘Remembering Allan W. Anderson’

Bibliography:
– ‘Songs from the Mifflinger Sea and a little cove of Nonsense’ – by Allan W. Anderson, Illustrated by Leslie Rhea Lewis- (Xlibris)
– ‘A Wholly Different Way of Living’ – Krishnamurti in dialogue with Professor Allan W. Anderson – (Gollancz)
– ‘On Krishnamurti’s Teachings’ – by Allan W. Anderson – (Karina Library Press)
– ‘Reflections on the I Ching’ – by Allan W. Anderson – (Xlibris)

Websites:
– Allan W. Anderson
– Inner Directions