Newt the salamander was painted in colours as bright as can be
Dazzling hues of iridescence which he wore apologetically 
He wished he were a colour that would hide him from plain sight
One that didn’t glow fluorescent in the deep dark of the night

His family were proud of their palette, displaying their tinctures effortlessly
But none shone intensely like Newt, who had a yearning to be free
Of his skin and the gaze of others, who he was sure were laughing at him
As they took in his absurdity, the livid vivid of his skin

He swam in the depths of the river, scaled trees where the birds sang their song
One foot in each of these different worlds, though in neither he felt he belonged
He did his best to stay hidden from creatures, of land stream air and sea
His family fretted and worried about him, he told them to leave him be

Until one day in the deepest depths he met a creature seldom seen
Spotted like a leopard burning bio-luminescence of purple and green
Who are you?  Newt wondered aloud, as the blob emerged from the silt where it lived
I am, the creature replied, though you can call me Hob the bobtail squid

Newt couldn’t contain his excitement at meeting a fellow who glowed brighter than he
He visited Hob every chance he got, the squid showed him stillness of mind that was key
To the growth of loving acceptance, until his heart was open and full to the brim
Newt began to see his glow in a different light, found the beauty others saw in him

Now Newt is comfortable in his surroundings, making friends wherever he goes
Though his greatest friend remains Hob, who taught him everything a wise creature knows:
there is a core of true self at our centre, the rest is just chatter and noise
To access that spark of being, vanquishes fear with warmth of untold joys 

Newt now embodies the whole of his being, embracing all that is truly him
Pure love for his self and the rest of the world, finally comfortable in his skin.

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All you need is already within you, only you must approach yourself with reverence and love

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

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I hope you enjoyed this week’s Sunday rhyme time. This one was hard to coax from the ether; I wasn’t sure where Newt’s journey was taking him after he met Hob, but I was delighted when he found himself.

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