As Long as I have Shade
~by Ananda Vrindavan devi dasi
As long as I have shade
With the sound of the holy name
I can bear the hot sun
Of my mind beating down on me
Of fears firing my imagination
Of my uncertain sense of self
As long as I have shade
Next to the rhythm of sacred sound
I can sit with the hot sun
Of misidentification
Denial, blame, justification
And not believe any of it
As long as I have shade
Beneath the clearing mantra
I can accept the hot sun
Of inevitability
Of death and dying
Of Illness and pain
The slow movements of time
And my insignificance
As long as I have shade
Deep within Krishna’s life
I can be happy with less
Cope with more
Welcome all heat
As a chance to grow
To my original true self
And my long lost love for Him