The Circle as Inspiration for Art and Poetry
One summer morning, during a visit at the home of one of my daughters, I was about to go out the kitchen door and instead, stopped and stood still, mesmerized by my grandson’s art that was taped to the wall above the door.
How did he do this?
My mind moved from shape to shape then into the colorful intricacies of the interiors. Were certain shapes tunneling from a vanishing point, or returning? Were several of them docked spaceships in this unknown world? I left with a photo, knowing that its meaning for a blog would come when I sat down to write.
In my research of the circle, I uncovered a name new to me—Hermes Trismegistus*—although it resonated with my concurrent reading of world history. This quote of his is a grateful gift for my heart.
“God is a circle whose centre is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere.”
~ Hermes Trismegistus
“May the Circle Be Unbroken” was written for my circle of friends meeting at my Florida home during the summer of 2002. We were there to plan a visit by Bill and Diana LePage to Temple of the Universe,* where they would talk about their early years with Meher Baba.*
“May the Circle Be Unbroken”
May the circle, symbol of Perfection, remain unbroken
May the golden circle, a halo, shine ever over your head
May the circle, unbroken, surround your heart
May the circle, which begins and ends with Beloved God, merry-go-round your life
May the circle on your finger be your wedding ring with God
May the circle of the sun illumine your life with radiance
May the circle of the full moon refresh your life with cooling moonbeams
May you be blessed to enter the circle of the God-Man, the Perfect Master
May the circle of your life encompass all beings with love
May the circle of the basketball rim accept your shot
May the circle of the whirling dervish be your dance
May the circle of the rim of your cup pour nectar of the Gods into your body
May the circle of Sri Krishna's disc slay all low desires
May the circle of your fellowship be a source of inspiration for deeper surrender
to the will of Almighty God
May the circle of your eyes see only God
May the circle of Mother Earth nurture and protect you
May the circle of the four directions guide you
May the circle of the dome of Beloved Meher Baba's Samadhi be a beacon for you
May the circle of your throat sing the Lord's praises
May the circle of your steering wheel drive you to the goal of God Realization
May all your circles be unbroken
~ Charles (Jesse) Massa
My realization is, “The circle, unnoticed in so many of its daily uses, may rise to a height of artistic expression that speaks to the heart and to the soul.”
* Temple of the Universe, founded in 1975 by Mickey Singer (The Untethered Soul), is a long-established yoga and meditation center where people of any religion or set of beliefs can come together to experience inner peace. www.tou.org
* Hermes Trismegistus refers to the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth and the merging of their separate traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion. Among those interested in these Hermetic writing were American transcendental poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and English scientist, Sir Isaac Newton.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/272885.Hermes_Trismegistus
* Meher Baba is the Avatar of the Age. 1984 – 1969.
* Charles (Jesse) Massa is Afforestation Supervisor at Meherabad, the Tomb-Shrine of Avatar Meher Baba in Arangaon, India. www.ambppct.org