first published work
soul whispers
poems on life
Thirty poems written across more than two decades of listening, unfolding into a single arc of life.
These are poems in an older tradition than most contemporary verse. The Sea speaks. Mother Earth replies. A butterfly remembers a life from 1921. A boy's soul dreams of oneness. Each is a small mystical moment, and a real memory of an instant of noticing.
Short, unhurried, written to be returned to: a book for the nightstand, for the walk by the water. Open it anywhere. The whispers have always just been there.
With reflections by Kyriacos C. Markides, Richard Boyatzis, Artemis Evangelidi, Thales Panagides, and Aleen Andreou.
echo
What if we are each a star in the Universe? Yet instead of living our lives authentically, as the stars that we are, we find ourselves moving along the outer orbits of consciousness, identified with our egos and personas that we have created for the world around us.
What if our life on Earth is the gift of opportunity… to notice, to learn, to journey inward? From the outer orbits, through our personal unconscious into the realms of humanity’s collective wisdom… and toward our ever-present true Self.
And what if our collective wisdom exists to make us aware of our deeply inherent interconnectedness… the very essence of peace, love and humanity?
the shape of the book
one arc of life, in five movements
The collection unfolds as a single journey: from unity, through the fullness of a life, and home again.
from the book
preface
Since I was a young boy, whenever something was on my mind, I would get a feeling that I needed to be by myself, or to go for a walk alone, especially by the sea. Somewhere deep inside, I knew if I did just that, the answers would come… and they often did. I don’t know how.
Around twenty-five years ago in London, whilst wandering the cobbled streets of Kensington, with no aim in sight, no goal in mind, just presence, in the moment, in flow, a woman named Fatima bumped into me and asked, ‘Would you happen to know where the Jamaican consulate is?’
Those were the days when I would lose myself in large bookstores, pulled in by the psychology and philosophy sections, disciplines that seemed to promise a glimpse beneath the surface of things.
Fatima was on her way to a book launch at the consulate. I asked where she was from. ‘Saint Lucia’, she replied. I told her that I was walking in the direction of the consulate and that I could walk with her. On the way, she told me about her friend, an author and poet, who was launching his book on reggae culture and mysticism, and she invited me to come along.
Those were the days when I was more open to new experiences, with fewer preconceptions in my mind, and so I happily accepted. And what a wonderful experience it was!
Those were also the days when I was receiving signs I had not yet recognised. The first book I ever bought was on astronomy; a deep curiosity about the world and what it all meant stirred within me.
Back then, I had written four poems that recently resurfaced. The first, titled ‘Life’, was followed by ‘Dream’, ‘Mother’ and ‘Goodbye & Farewell’.
Who wrote those words?
Where had those insights come from?
I have no idea…
I guess they had always just been there.
In me,
in you,
in all of us.
Ever present…
from the collection
selected poems
Each poem arrived in a particular instant of noticing. Presented here in the order they appear in the book.
Lake Grasmere, Lake District, Cumbria, UK · 2023 · photograph by the author
One, a Reminder
The Soul question
…she asked
‘What did you bring here
…with you to Earth?’
Pause
…listen close
The silent voice whispers
What does she say?
‘Remember
Seekers of purpose
search on the outside
What we brought here
lies within’
In the timeless wisdom
search within
Remember your story…
Did you bring peace?
Patience
…hand on heart
The silent voice whispers
What does she say?
‘We all brought Peace’
Remember the elder’s story
No nationalities, only Human Beings
Pause
…listen close
The silent voice whispers
What does she say?
‘Humanity is Human Unity’
Remember the collective story
Reminder of One
Patience
…hand on heart
The silent voice speaks
What does she say?
‘Remember
Deep down…
we all brought the same One thing’
‘Remember
Peace and Human Unity…
the pillars of the One Human Story’
‘Remember
I am You
You are Me
One!’
In 1921, a Butterfly
The butterfly from the ginkgo biloba tree
landed on a traffic-light pole
As she flickered her wings
so flickered all the traffic-lights around the world
…in perfect sync
And as they flickered…
the caterpillars saw
the caterpillars dreamt
they believed
they became!
Whirlpool in Continuum
A Whirlpool
Each and every experience…
perceived through our filters
Through our lens…
moulded by our previous experiences
and beliefs about them
And on and on it goes…
A Whirlpool
Looping…
Over and over
Sculpting certainty
in our beliefs
and opinions
Amplifying our egos
and identities
Fortifying our inferences
about our next experience
And on and on it goes…
A Whirlpool
Looping…
Over and over
In Continuum!
A view from above, over Europe en route to the UK · 2023 · photograph by the author
Mirror of Mind in the Night Sky
In between
Infinite webs of city lights
In the Night, the Light
From below
The vastness of the night sky
In between
Never-ending star clusters
Constellations shine bright
In the Night, the Light
From within
Dark clouds
In between
Forever flashes of lightning strikes
In the Night, the Light
As are the infinite webs of city lights
the never-ending star clusters
the forever flashes of lightning strikes…
so are the neural networks in the human Mind
From above
from below
from within the Night Sky…
So manifests
the Mirror of Mind!
A view from Assisi over the Perugian landscapes, Italy · 2024 · photograph by the author
A Field Collective
They played their chords
reaching inside their hearts
finding none other
than the mirrored hearts of the others
They sung their verses
reaching inside their souls
finding none other
but the One Self United
They spoke their words
lighting up each other
finding none other
but the One Light Source
They dreamt their dreams
and asked…
‘Dear Self, is this my dream?’
‘I dream with you
through you and from you…
you and I dear…
we dream with and through one another’
‘What about our brothers’ and sisters’ dreams?’
I asked
‘I dream with them too dear…
For we are all One Permanent & Transient
Imprint
of the Timeless Ether that we are…
One Field
One Heart
One Soul
One Light
One Dream!’
Sunset in Limassol, Cyprus · 2020 · photograph by the author
Dream
A figment of one’s imagination
Occurring in a split of a second
Can be of happiness, ecstasy or devastation
Making one hold on to the reality beyond
Falling like a gust of wind
into the deep valleys of forever darkness
Then rising to cliffs of heavenly light
No time…
The past faded
like a memory
into the distance behind
The present numbing
into the mind
The future fogged
like an ancient moonstone mine
Just pure thought
Floating…
Like a leaf of a tropical palm tree
On a transparent crystal sea
Floating…
The magnificent roaring waves
guiding thought to the island
The island of beauty
…of shores, waterfalls and mountain valleys
And nature leading the rays of sunshine
onto this place
Where no one may reach
except for the Soul to whom this dream belongs
This imagination of reality
with no galaxy of time!
reflections
resonances from fellow travellers
These reflections come from dear friends, writers and thinkers whose lives have touched mine in meaningful ways. Their words are gentle echoes that emerged after journeying through the pages of this book.
“Thank you for your beautiful mystical poetry, which is a window that lights the path to transcendence like a liberated prisoner from Plato’s cave! So much love pours out of your poetry that is such a soothing murmur in a troubled world. Carry on, therefore, and continue your pace along Rumi’s footsteps.”
Kyriacos C. Markidesauthor of The Mountain of Silence and The Magus of Strovolos · Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Maine
“There are many ways to feel truly alive, to cry, to love, and to feel compassion. This collection of poems, like listening to your favorite ballads or symphonies, will do that for you. It is a journey into being human while seeing angels and touching heaven.”
Richard Boyatzisco-author of Primal Leadership · Distinguished University Professor, Case Western Reserve University
“‘Soul Whispers’ stirs something deep within; like recognising your long-lost friend in a sea of people, or even more powerful, recognising yourself within its words. … This collection of poetry has entered the room, pulled up a chair and joined in on the conversation about life, love, loss, awe and every emotion in between. And you have the honour of being its guest.”
Artemis Evangelidiauthor of Life. Thoughts that Make the World Go Round
“Poems are balm for the heart and soul. They serve as reminders, pointers to look inwardly. … In this wonderful book, Walid shares his unique gift of listening to the quiet pulse of the world so that we, too, can feel and see it more clearly.”
Thales Panagidesauthor of Odyssey to the Heart
“In this anthology, Walid invites the reader to look at life through his window; a place of attentiveness, wisdom, and awe. Reading feels intimate, as though he is sitting beside you, whispering gently.”
Aleen Andreoufacilitator, coach, poet & theatre practitioner
the book
Short, unhurried, written to be returned to. Open it anywhere. The whispers have always just been there.
the poems are becoming music → SoL music, first release 2027