The Naming

Who we really are . . .

I Name you, my Love,
softly, whispering the Truth
of who you are,
not how you seem to others,
not who you have been on this Earth.

I look deeply into your eyes,
invite the Soul to emerge
through the layers of lives,
that you might remember,
and join me in this spectacular Quest.

All the other names fall away
for both of us;
we meet in that suspended Moment
where Truth can be found,
and the Eternal invoked.

Neither of us knew the power of the Naming
until Love entered our midst,
cast away common fears,
exorcized ghosts and demons.

Our true Names define us-
not the mortal clothes we pick out for each lifetime
from some banquet hall filled with
wardrobes and mirrors.

Practicing the Naming,
facing each Other,
our Forms fall away,
the Matter we are made of here
dissolving into charismatic Energy
that dances,
merging, separating,
playful and alive.

Imagine if we faced each One we met
in each passing Moment,
seeking the true Name that lives in each of us.
Unique Names created from the same language,
the same Word,
that created this Earth.

We are different aspects of the same Source,
Light, Sound, and Love,
Beginning, without end.

I Name you, my Love.

Author's Note

Written 7/24/16, as my husband and I sat on the patio. He was lost in a verbal stream on the subject of the names of God, while I wrote this poem. I have always been fascinated by the Earth Sea Trilogy, where I first was introduced to the idea that we have authentic, hidden Names underneath the common name we were given at birth. In that work, true Names are only revealed to those who are trustworthy companions.

Reviews

[emmajoy]

There's a quote.. don't know its origin: 'We are every place weve ever visited, every person we've ever met and... every emotion shared with another's heart. ' Your exquisite words and means of laying them reminds me or rather, magnifies that quote. As to many lives within the present one, why not..'possibility' is only another word, another thought.. another plausibility! You stroke then tuck your words into people's hearts, don't you?

[Marianne Rose]

What a beautiful review, poetic in its own right. I love your insights and reflections, and feel touched by your last thought, so honoring and sensitive. In my young life, when I was a teacher, my mentor told me I had an "iron fist with a velvet glove" with students- that phrase comes back to me from time to time, still pondering it after all these years. Hearts that soften do have a secret place where words and feelings they have heard or read get tucked inside. What an inspiring way to look at this process. Thank you for this gift . . . Another phrase I think that will stick with me on this writing journey. 💜

[rachellynn]

I am at a loss for words. Absolutely beautiful and breathtaking.

[Marianne Rose]

Thank you- I appreciate your kind words and hearing your emotional reaction!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i like this a lot...and on a human level...the names lovers have for each other, especially when there is no one else in their world...the past is dissolved, whoever they were then, matters not. it is the now, the us.

at one with each other, with nature, with the spirit.

j.

[Marianne Rose]

Yes- it is almost easier to get to that level when there are just two of you going through the years- you catch glimpses of the essence until you can really see each other. Thank you J. For understanding the bond that inspired this poem at first . . . And then, it just seemed like it could be possible, for all of us- "at one with each other, with nature, with the spirit"- what I hope for. What I want everyone to be able to experience for themselves. Much appreciated comments and review, my friend.

[LastMonth]

This poem is quite profound.
Not to mention emotional and thoughtful.

The concept of having hidden, unique and marvelous names within each of us is touching.
And the idea that only our soul mates will have the capacity to 'read us' is a beautiful idea, crafted by a loving and intelligent mind.

[Marianne Rose]

What a beautiful review you grace me with, new friend. I'm so appreciative of your comments, and that you found the concepts touching and thoughtful. It is so encouraging to put something out there that isn't quite what we think about during our regular days, and have such a positive response. We are, indeed, all deeper than we know. Thank you for reading and reviewing this piece so thoughtfully.

[Lost, n'MT]

I found this piece to be both very beautiful and very well written.

Besides the ending which I greatly enjoyed, this verse really stood out to me;

"I look deeply into your eyes,
invite the Soul to emerge
through the layers of lives,
that you might remember,
and join me in this spectacular Quest."

Beautiful written and expressed, I thoroughly enjoyed this piece. :)

[Marianne Rose]

Thank you- I'm so glad you enjoyed it and found a part that resonated with you- I want to say that stanza now silently to everyone I meet. I never really got the greeting of "namaste" until this poem revealed it to me. I think I always have known, but forgotten, what it means to greet each other soul to soul, and then find the beloved there waiting to be uncovered. It seems a good time to practice this as everything gets more intense, and it is so easy to lose ourselves in a layer reflecting fear. Thank you for reading this, and for your heart-warming review.

[Lost, n'MT]

You're welcome, Marianne. I tend to browse through your writings and several other writers, but a lot of the times I don't say anything if I don't feel I have something worthwhile and/or constructive to share. While I don't have anything constructive to share from a writing perspective,

That's very interesting to here as I thoroughly enjoy "namaste" as a greeting. While it hasn't been as prevalent in my life as it had been in the past, the memories are coming back to be.

You're absolutely right in what you say, and I am very happy to hear this piece revealed it to you and allowed you to remember.' And it's incredible accurate how it can be so easy to lose ourselves in fear. Sometimes a helpful reminder can go a long way in getting one back on track and/or keeping one on the right path.

You're very welcome, I greatly enjoyed it. And I am happy that you appreciated my review/reaction as well. Thank you for sharing this beautiful piece. :)

[H.L. Cerveise]

I love this piece. This should transcend multiple belief systems. All souls have a nature that is eternal. Learning the core of all our layers in ourselves, and others is the purpose of the cosmos. Reading this piece was delightful and the stanza breakdown inspired. Thank you for sharing this.

Well done.

[Marianne Rose]

Thank you, HL, that means a lot to me coming from someone who seems to live in the cosmic connections more than most. I did have the same thought as you when it streamed out- that it is something that could provide common ground for people of different faiths, for those who seek to find it. Maybe except for the part that infers reincarnation - though even that part could be read as many lifetimes and roles we play in one life. Thank you for the specific comments about stanza breaks too- something I did after it wrote itself in one long stream, though the line breaks were there from the beginning. I agree- our souls are eternal- and this life is so much about the layers as distinguished from the core. We need only shift our attention away from the layers, looking deeper each time we hit a floor, to see the unbounded essence underneath. We are beginning to learn this with quantum physics, but not everyone has the interest or knack to make the connections between what we begin to uncover as our scientific method evolves, and the spiritual dimension of our lives. Anyway, I appreciate your review and reflections tremendously.

[H.L. Cerveise]

As you have seen metaphysics is something I have gotten excited about since about 1980. The book, The Dancing Wu Li Masters, helped firm up what I was beginning to feel even before that time. I know some belief systems do not believe in reincarnation; however, I believe there is a definition of reincarnation that just about everyone could agree on. The answer lies in quantum physics as seen in a metaphysical way.

[Bharathi]

You have great views about life! Marianne. You are a great human! I'm just inspired by your words. We are given one life, where we are more concerned about physical appearances and the outfit we wear. People should love, cherish and help each other rather than running behind things which don't have life. I just love those lines "Our true Names define us- not the mortal clothes we pick out for each lifetime"

[Marianne Rose]

Thank you so much- I so agree that we must learn to love, cherish and help each other rather than seeking lifeless material . . . It is so hard sometimes to see the soul inside someone who has embraced a vicious or exploitive outer nature. I need only hold a baby and gaze into their eyes to realize that we all have souls- what life deals us or teaches us in early years can layer over that beauty until it seems the soul is unreachable or has fled entirely. I want to practice seeing deeply, setting aside assumptions that gather as we gaze at the external personality or behavior. Sometimes not easy to do. Thank you for responding so positively, and for affirming these thoughts and the soul that speaks them. What a wonderful review!

[Marianne Rose]

HL- it's amazing you mention Dancing Wu Li Masters- my husband read that when he was in the midst of an artistic period- and he began to paint what he called "Wu Li" paintings- impressions of the energy he perceived all around him after reading that book. They are among my favorite paintings today- though some were sold- it's had for me to give up his work to a gallery sale! Some day all our disciplines were merge- because they are all connected- I wonder what a college would call a major in metaphysics, philosophy, theology, physics, astronomy, history, sociology, etc.?

[H.L. Cerveise]

If you add psychology to the list among other things, and you have what I learned in college from a number of different colleges and on my own, I know what I called it. A long time ago I read a scifi book. I do not remember the author, in this book a person who was a JOAT, was highly prized in that society. A JOAT of course standing for jack of all trades. So if you hear of a college or university that offers a JOAT degree let me know.

[Bharathi]

All your work and reviews keeps inspiring me. Love you a lot! Thank you! Marianne

[Marianne Rose]

HL- I'll be right there with you- I'm hoping there would be PhD in JOAT- have thought often about going back to school to get one- but all the options are too limited at present.

And to the reviewer above- the review doesn't show your name, but thank you again- isn't it wonderful how this works? My husband inspires me, then I inspire you, and you go on to inspire someone else until inspiration spreads out exponentially across our troubled world. If only we could remain in that inspiration, sustain it and not lose heart. Of course, losing heart is part of the equation too, otherwise we wouldn't reach for something deeper, more sustaining than what we have in the world . . . Thank you for being here - it is a grand quest, isn't it?

[zaisham9393]

Amazing.Very well written :)
Thank you for sharing :))!

[Marianne Rose]

Thank you for reading so quickly after I posted it, and for such a positive review!

[zaisham9393]

You are very welcome.

[Diamond]

Just superb, I can't express it better. This is the belief I had been living with for the longest time now. I am very happy to read this poem. I love it.

[Marianne Rose]

Your words mean a lot to me - encouraging me to keep writing, and practicing what I write (the positive pieces). They also tell me there are others like me who think and feel this way. We just have to remember, everyday, who we are. Thanks so much for your review and friendship.

[Diamond]

My pleasure Marianne, to be friends with you. Love.

[Teddybearlee]

My goodness....that was just so insanely epic, I'm completely jealous!! Seriously, I was excited reading that! Absolutely stunning. That writing would work as well in any literature class as it would in any fantasy series I read. I'm almost at a loss for words on this one. Beautiful is an understatement, you blew me away. Geez, my mind is spinning, your husband makes for terrific inspiration it seems :)

[Teddybearlee]

P.S. I wish I could pick something out that stood out for me, but it was just a wonderful collective piece!

[Marianne Rose]

Thank you, my dear friend, it honors the voice coming through that poem that you experienced it as a whole, I'm very appreciative that you expressed such enthusiasm and graced your review with such complementary words. Yes, my husband is inspiring, if you take the time to look into his soul, as we can all do with one another. He wakes each morning with a different thought on his mind, or sometimes just pure silliness and play. Me, I'm the serious one- thank God we were matched- a necessary balance that used to drive each of us crazy! He brings out my playfulness, and we ground each other in different ways. When I read him this poem, he told me I had to post it right away. I appreciate his discernment- it does seem to speak to the heart of each of us. Thank you again for reading this, and giving it such a delightful review!