Month: September 2023

If the Eternal Exists

Image is my own
no gulf across time
no forever in forever promises
of time that drips still
as if the eternal existed
in the binding of souls
and yet--

and yet—
breath stops in hope--
with my final breath
I will soar into the sun
to wait for you,
or should it be--
find you there waiting for me,
then we will fly beyond
whatever magic of spirit
there exists,
mingling and joining
with the elements--
of air
of earth
of water
of fire
merging and separating
and merging again
for an eternity.

then should we,
in the beauty of condemned blessings,
fall to earth once again,
no matter where,
no matter when,
I will find you yet again.

The Birth of Autumn

Image is my own
At the edges of this cool morning,
humming with the dying of summer,
I, long awake, attend to things
that must be done:
dogs fed; trash pulled to the curb;
a load of laundry started;
hummingbird feeders cleaned;
all ordinary, mundane things—
This chill in the air has me wish
I’d put on a jacket, yet the chill
will be gone by noon. 
And I find I smile.

For the first time,
I do not despair at the dying
of this year’s summer,
but find a joyous warmth 
in the light as this year’s autumn
is born.

Of Stones and Weeds

Image courtesy of Reddit.com

I could rake these stones.
Free these tiny weeds
which my feeble fingers fumble to grab
and tweeze out. 
Yes, with a rake,
I could disturb the harmony
of stones, free the weeds—

But no.  

I have had enough of stones.
I’ve enough of their weight 
placed upon me.
I’ve carried the tonnage of stone
from place to place,
lived under it,
barely breathing through years,
lived decades encased within a sarcophagus 
of other’s demands and expectations,
all shattered now in lovely shards
left in the distance behind me.

No, I will leave these stones undisturbed.
They will not take up my time.
There are other ways to weed,
and should the weeds take the stones,
there is beauty to be found in the wildness of weeds.

For All Our Daughters, A Prayer

Image courtesy of depositphoto.com
My daughter, mine,
though you live
       thousands of miles away
sleep safe, my daughter mine.

Though you live	
        where a man caresses a weapon of war as he plots
	to drill death into hundreds as he walks down a street,
sleep safe, my daughter mine.

Though you live 
        where freedom should ring 
	yet a state ties you hostage in righteous ropes of religion,
sleep safe, my daughter mine.

Though you live
        where you must sell your body
	to feed your children,
sleep safe, my daughter mine.

Though you live
        where no one, no law will protect you
	from the monster who sleeps beside you,
sleep safe, my daughter mine.

Though you live 
        where you have no voice,
        where you die in the custody of morality police,
        where you can disappear with no outcry to echo behind,
sleep, sleep safe, my daughter mine.