For when they spoke, the world
began.
7 days or a big bang —
Does it matter? The very
act of both:
miraculous:
cells, complexities forming, taking
place, taking
space. Interacting
one with another —
dancing — all in an
infinitesimal
beauty, landing
here today in a cosmic
humanity — able to
swim and crawl and
stand and live and
inevitably, love and
laugh and debate and
hurt but
eventually,
possibly … with all the
grace, to
heal.
Friend … may I
enter here? And
sit awhile in the
ashes of your
disappointment. You don’t need to
know all the
reasons your
discouragement
overwhelms or
explain away your
disillusionment. I
see you
buried beneath
all
the
thoughts and feelings and lines
you are
hearing yourself
feeding yourself
sobbing yourself to an
unsleep until that moment you once again
beg for tears to
overtake you because
being numb just feels so much
worse. Here — let me
hold your
hand.
You’re brave –
You know that?
It’s not everyone
who can
hold all of
this on
her shoulders – so
strong – and
still be the soft
nest – so
comforting – for her
little boy.
Courage – mother –
you’ll make it.
Running through each heart
an understanding
between,
brought together somehow,
through resumes and departments
and “skill-sets”,
built on quick two-minute cube conversations,
sudden laughs
small kindnesses
a construction of work history
becoming personal
into
sweet friends and honest
conversations
flowing through
around and in –
into each heart
this beautiful understanding
between
what they’ve called these ‘9-5 hours’.
Once, I traveled to India
through all the over-sensory whirl
of sounds and smells and colors
out to hot fields and small houses
where I met my friend’s mother
who
calmly presided over her
home
(in a language I did not understand).
But I saw that
her eyes spoke compassion;
her laughter, delight;
her wrinkles, strength.
And then_
she turned and
looked at me.
Here
Forgiveness for us
who did the very thing.
Love for us
who hate.
Refuge for us
who wander, who flee, who are lost.
Mercy Compassion Joy Rest Healing Strength
Presence Welcome Trust Friendship
Healing Peace Reach
Life
all the things
breaking through
the stone
“Now go and tell and do
likewise”
Here in the darkness,
dawn
Him
We to live
this HOPE
The imaginary lines
I threw out – foolishly,
impulsively – must be reeled back in
Some filament I spun
to create a cloud
hiding the real
picture from view
– unhooked –
by your words of clarity.
I float off into space
looking for another meteorite, planet, satellite, any object … until …
I’ll realize … eventually, finally … the truth
dives in
I’m Venus,
the North Star
I don’t need cobwebs or lifelines
dust motes of broken dreams
I am the Milky Way I can let
you float through
unseen
(uncared)
by me.
torn limbs
too wrecked to reach
the little chance for life
in a bombed out womb of rubble
covered in shrapnel
dripping in suffering
[let the images explode your heart]
bleeding
broken into pieces
(remember these?
BELITTLED
into a RIDDLE:
a 140-spaced tweet
compared to a candy)
now a dust-bowl of skin and bones
almost nothing left (of Aleppo’s
last hospital)
but wounds and a loud cry
suffocated by our own
life pulses and throbbing fears of the unknown
“If I had a bowl of skittles”
Through the mask
of the screen, device, closed eyes,
you are not a face
I have to care about
or know.
Only words that have offended
my beliefs. My values (character!) questioned,
as I stand scrolling on the bus
or lie in bed
you could be next to me
but your vitriol only
clashes mid-air with mine
fist first – like two villains –
as I hide
behind my rock
cheering (not knowing if you are too –
or if you’re weeping)
I’m right
I’m right
I’m right
I’m right
I’m right
If this heart is cracked
I apologize
It’s seen and trusted
and broken
If these eyes
look away
I apologize
They have forgotten a steady gaze
of love. that holds it
locked
If these lips are closed
I apologize
they’ve allowed unmentionables
and revealed deep secrets. and lost all access.
If these feet walk away,
That’s all they’ve ever known.
That’s all they’ve ever known.