Maria Forster DeJ

Morgan Hill, California

Maria, an educator and translator, has written poetry since age thirteen. She was born June 4, 1925 in Essen Germany. She has been in the U.S. since 1958. Her poetry appeared in over 40 anthologies, magazines, and newspapers in three languages. Five poems were set to music by German composer Karl Knochenhauer. She lived for ten years in Venezuela where she wrote for EL CARABOBENO, EL DIARIO DE VALENCIA, EL ABORIEGEN and the A.V.E.P.E. Her Spanish cultural programs were aired over LA VOZ DE CARABOBO. She earned her doctorate in psychology. Maria says, "Poets are born, not made".

Beyond Thoughts and Words

The cosmic mind appears to be
an ocean of tranquility
where thoughts, like ripples, long to reach
the undefined and distant beach.
But words, however softly spoken,
will cause the silence to be broken.
Hence wordless prayer is the key
to that which is divine in me.
A state of being so sublime
is far removed from space and time.
This house of clay cannot imprison
a soul whose consciousness has risen.

Quill and Ink

Imagine how quiet it was in the land,
when communications were written by hand,
and people were reading, or sharing at night
by kerosene lamp, or a candle's soft light.
The world's greatest music, and verses that rhyme
bear witness that once, folks had plenty of time.
Their letters were deep, with a personal touch,
and manu-scripts still were accepted as such.
Philosophers, scientists were able to think
and left their impressions handwritten in ink.
Today ' cross the nation the "steel-fingers" click.
Good-bye inspiration! The keyword is "Quick!"
Although the production increases each day,
we have less and lesser of value to say.

Diving For Pearls

Shall I be master of my mind
And life, I must control the kind
Of thoughts I am inviting in.
Here shall apprenticeship begin.

Incessantly the thoughts forms flow
Past the observer, like a show.
Though unbelievable it seems,
This quiet Self invades one's dreams.

Awareness grows and deep within
Some subtle changes will set in.
There is a need for quiet time,
A thirst for knowledge more sublime.

What seemed important now appears
To be a waste of precious years.
The search for truth and answers leads
To ways and means to still these needs.

To find That Path and yearn to see
What ultimately sets us free,
We seek the teacher's helping hand
And consciousness starts to expand.

The stream of thoughts still flows through time
And carries with it those of mine,
But now I lift from Memory
The thoughts that once uplifted me.