Kali Ecstatic Poetry
The black bee of my mind is drawn in sheer delight
– Kamalakanta
To the blue lotus flower of Mother Syama’s feet,
The blue flower of the feet of Kali, Siva’s Consort.
Tasteless, to the bee, are the blossoms of desire.
My Mother’s feet are black! This much of the mystery
These mortal eyes behold, then hastily retreat.
But Kamalakanta’s hopes are answered in the end;
He swims in the Sea of Bliss, unmoved by joy or pain.
From: Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
This time I shall devour Thee utterly, Mother Kali!
-- from Kali: The Black Goddess of Dakshineswar, by Elizabeth U. Harding
by Ramprasad (Ramprasad Sen)
Original Language Bengali
This time I shall devour Thee utterly, Mother Kali!
For I was born under an evil star,
And one so born becomes, they say, the eater of his mother.
Thou must devour me first, or I myself shall eat Thee up;
One or the other it must be.
I shall besmear my hands with black
and with black my face;
With black I shall besmear the whole of my body.
And when Death seizes me,
with black I shall besmear his face.
O Mother, I shall eat Thee up
but not digest Thee;
I shall install Thee in my heart
And make Thee offerings with my mind.
You may say that by eating Kali
I shall embroil myself
with Kala, Her Husband,
but I am not afraid;
Braving His anger,
I shall chant my Mother's name.
Come what may, I shall eat Thee up —
Thee and Thy retinue —
Or lose my life attempting it.
Kali, the wild dark Goddess
Surging forth from the darkness
You are that radiant blackness
Exploding into form
Kali, the wild dark Goddess
The Primordial Shakti
The grace of Your destruction
The shadow of Your creativity
Kali, the wild dark Goddess
Dancing on Shiva's body
You are the violence of the Big Bang
Vibrating across time and space
O Kali Ma
Your mouth wide open
A black hole
Swallowing us all alive
Your slightest whisper
Sends cyclones screaming
And tsunamis raging
In mesmerizing horror
Kali, the wild dark Goddess
The tragedy of death
The ferocity of birth
The light and shadow of your play
Kali, the wild dark Goddess
A crack of thunder
A flash of lighting
Stuns the mind
With your mischievous smile
Lift this veil
Look into my eyes
Clouds part across the night sky
Kali, the wild dark Goddess
Your ecstatic dance
Outrageous and sublime
My knees tremble in terror
Kali, Kali, Kali
Your divine play
Electrifying, terrifying
Brings tears to my eyes
Kali, the wild dark Goddess
I have been searching for you everywhere
But finally you showed me
We have never been apart
Kali, Kali, Kali
One morning I awoke
To the rapture of your presence
To the ecstasy of our embrace
O Kali Ma
Your bittersweet bargain
Of birth and death
Of love and grief
Churn up all of my fears
Unmask my deepest desires
I offer everything back
Into your raging fire
These flickering flames
Reflecting like images in a mirror
Illuminating your dark eyes
Penetrating me deep inside
Kali, the wild dark Goddess
When at last I meet your gaze
At the gates of death
May the ferocity of your love
Devour me.
tantric poem by Sahaja Soma
The most exalted experience of bliss
– Ramprasad Sen Found Here
in any realm of being
is directly knowing the universal Mother,
the supremely blissful one.
Ecstatic lovers of Kali the Sublime
are not pilgrims to sacred shrines,
for they hear all existence
singing the glory of the Goddess.
O most Holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing,
I adore Thee, I love Thee, and with a lively sorrow for my sins,
I offer Thee this poor heart of mine.
Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to Thy will.
Grant, good Jesus, that I may live in Thee and for Thee.
Protect me in the midst of danger;
comfort me in my afflictions;
give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs,
Thy blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death.
Within Thy Heart I place my every care.
In every need let me come to Thee with humble trust saying,
‘Heart of Jesus, help me.’
Amen.
Mother Kali, Mother Kali,
Mother of the world-transforming
and world-illumining
Fiery Dance,
O Mother, You are at once the destruction-flood
Of Concern-Light and Compassion-Ocean
For our heart’s aspiration-flame
The Invocations to the Sacred Heart
Merciful Jesus, I consecrate myself today and always
to Thy Most Sacred heart;
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I implore
that I may ever love Thee more and more;
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in Thee;
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I believe in Thy love for me;
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy Kingdom Come.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, convert sinners, save the dying,
and deliver the Holy Souls from purgatory.
Amen.