A Remote And Distant Reunion Poem by Bill Galvin

That inter-web thingamajig can be a convenient tool
For researching one’s past.

An old Sikh friend and counselor
Gurucharan Singh Khalsa… of the local ashram…
He can’t see me; but I see him by chance,
By web searching this influence from my past;
He was one who showed me roads to free myself,
And set sign posts for me along the way,
For me to find years later.
He was one of many stepping stones I sought
To traverse a muddy and murky terrain of doubt.
We parted amiably as I went off to battle my demons.
That was 35 years and many lifetimes ago.

Part of his program was Kundalini Yoga,
And his “Breath of Fire” was part of every session.
I find a video of it demonstrated by him, online,
From his present Tucson home, where he is
A Director at the Kundalini Research Institute.

It is good to see him and hear his voice again.

He knew Deb, as well… professionally…
He knew our inmost fears, wishes, and secrets,
And counseled us separately when we were apart.
Would he be glad to know we worked things out
And had a rewarding life together?
He played a role in that with his calming presence,
His meditation training, and forthrightness.

(Anecdote – Deb must have wanted to know
What was going on with me at the time…
As she grappled with parting and moving forward;
But he could not say… could not reveal anything
About another client as a licensed therapist…
Except that I was fighting battles, as a “warrior” would.
She told me this many years later after we married;
She did not care for that response at all;
It was no concrete answer, it held no hint of hope;
Made the guy she loved sound heroic, when he was not.
She was hurting back then, of course,
But ultimately came to understand the process.
And in a small, but, meaningful way, that comment
May have been the catalyst for her to keep
A faith in me, tucked in the watch pocket of her jeans;
Perhaps leading to her waiting through our silent years,
And, at the last, accepting again my calloused hand.)
His help led me down more productive paths;
He gave me more tools for my journey;
For to pry myself open to allow someone to love me.

And Deb too learned from him…
So I wonder if he would like to know that
We ultimately enjoyed a long, loving life together.

I always believed in and leaned toward the
Eastern way, being one of relativism, connectedness;
Whereas, Western concept is based upon
Happenstance, luck, or coincidence only.

Life may contain many mysteries, but
Nothing happens for no reason…

So, we’ll see where this present footpath takes me.


7-2-2015