‘THE GURU’S GOLDEN HANDS’ and DAKINI DAY CALL TO GET THE CREATIVE ‘JUICES’ FLOWING: New poem ‘The Guru’s Golden Hands’ and poetry, art and music call for submissions for publication

“I feel what they feel. People who listen to me know that, and it makes them feel like they’re not alone.”—Nina Simone

“A good painting to me has always been like a friend. It keeps me company, comforts and inspires.”—Hedy Lamarr

“Poetry is a life-cherishing force. For poems are not words, after all, but fires for the cold, ropes let down to the lost, something as necessary as bread in the pockets of the hungry.”
― Mary Oliver

“Poetry is the lifeblood of rebellion, revolution, and the raising of consciousness.” —Alice Walker

Calling the passionate, creative and maybe ‘closet’ poets, musicians and artists! Today for Dakini Day, let’s dare to try something creative and different. An open invitation for you to send your poems, music and art inspired by the Dakini/Goddess/Mother/Woman. Take a risk and create something! As Mary Oliver the poet said: “The most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave to it neither power nor time.” 

Promoting female-inspired and created art, poetry and music

There are two sections on this website dedicated to poetry and artistic creations. I have already published one poetry collection called ‘Tales from the Yoni Stone’ and I am currently working on my second pamphlet of poems and essays dedicated to women/the female called ‘The Lioness begins to Roar’. I am also the creator and sponsor of an art project connected to Buddhist women, more on that in a future post. 

I founded Dakini Publications not only as a platform for my research and translations but also to inspire and promote literature, poetry, art and music in new and innovative ways connected to the divine Vajra Buddha nature and the female.

This invite is open to anyone with the following conditions:

• The theme must be connected to the dakini/goddess/women/female.
• All work must be original and created by yourself (or in corroboration with others who are named).
• Entries limited to one genre per person (so a person can submit, at most one poem, one musical and one art composition). 
• Poems must not be more than 500 words long and in .pdf format.
• Musical compositions must not be more than 4 minutes long (ideally with video but not essential).
• Art images must be in an electronic format and must be suitable for publication. They must be not be violent, derogatory, obscene or contain explicit sexual imagery designed to provoke worldly sexual pleasure only. 

All entries to be considered must include the creator’s name, a short biography (200 words),  recent photo and email.

The best twenty entries will be published as a collection on this website.  The most inspiring one (possibly with two runners-up) will have an interview and article written about their life, creative work and inspirations published on the website. 

Cost per entry is minimum 10 GBP (12 USD) (and for citizens/residents of India, Bhutan and Nepal 5GBP) – you can donate more if you wish though.  All proceeds will support the website and work. Closing date is end of December 2022, please send your submissions, here. The collection will be published around May/June 2023.

To get those creative juices flowing, here is a new poem I created spontaneously today called ‘The Guru’s Golden Hands’. I have also included some examples of artworks and music below I find particularly inspiring and amazing, some of which I have used on the Facebook page and website.

THE GURU’S GOLDEN HANDS

by Adele Tomlin

“Black is the colour of my true love’s hair.”
Nina sang.

Golden are the colour of my  Guru’s hands.
How to write a priceless treasure on a plain, blank page?
‘Words, it’s only words but words are all I have
to take your breath away’….
How does the sculptor begin to sculpt from
a cold, hard stone
the heart’s shining sun
in a wide-open sky?

‘You got me feeling emotions!’
Mariah sang.

Emotion embodied in strong, elegant fingers
Unshakeably holding the vajra and bell
The eternal Guru Yoga union,
An inseparable, shimmering sheem
A bliss supreme…
Supreme.

“Shine bright like a diamond!”
Rhianna sang.

Bright, perfectly manicured nails
Sparkling like invisible diamonds,
Mandala chakra finger ‘prints’.
One touch arouses white-hot ecstasy.
One wave wafts a crystal, rainbow crescent.
A cooling breeze on a sticky, wet day.

“You make me feel like a natural woman!”
Aretha sang. 

Natural, oh those natural, easy hands,
Creating, writing, painting, sculpting, skilful, loving hands.
One fortunate time, I felt those hands,
They touched something I offered in mine,
while planting something
deep within the
heart.

If I ever had the merit to be gaze and graze those hands again,
I would bring them over the pulsating, aching bhaga,
to caress and draw out
its sacred secret,
whispering nectar…

“Come. Come. Come home.

AH”.”

Spontaneously composed for Dakini Day and dedicated with open heart and hands to the root Guru. Adele Tomlin, 21st August 2022.

Music?  Black is the Colour of My True Love’s Hair by Nina Simone, Like A Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin, Emotions by Mariah Carey, She’s Like A Rainbow by the Rolling Stones, 50ft Queenie by PJ Harvey…..

Art inspirations? See below: