The Stars
The stars are dancing hydrogen
helium atoms in the Universal sky
— and in your night a lullaby.
The stars are expanding gases
hosting planetary spheres
spinning dimensions of time and space
— and in your night ancestors
holding your sacred place.
Sometimes I believe I am one person.
Sometimes I experience the sun as separate rays of light.
Sometimes the wind blows me sideways.
Sometimes the waves fill my mouth.
Sometimes my breath is the breath of the forest across the ocean.
Sometimes I am in a crowd or circle of people quietly praying.
Sometimes I am in a crowd or circle of people singing.
Sometimes all the fireflies blink in unison.
Sometimes the trees are humming to encourage the saplings growth.
Sometimes I feel the Earth breathing.
Sometimes the Earth holds me at its core, my forehead opens and I experience floating outside the Earths energy.
Once I saw a beautiful vision, a multicolored sphere, full spectrum rays of light
moving waves, fields and ribbons of energy– the breathing Earth and its electromagnetic body
one field reflecting humanity in this time and place
And sometimes I am all of humanity causing the unbalanced wobble.
And sometimes I am the part of humanity tilting the field toward love.
Sometimes the Earth’s energy as part of a spiral galaxy is shown by the splash of stars in the milky way, and the alignment of planets, visible in the early morning sky.
Sometimes I am in this galaxy gazing at Andromeda.
And sometimes in the dark night, I experience the celestial light of over a billion years ago as photons hitting the backs of my eyes.
And sometimes all I can do is sit in silence.
Sometimes all I can do is sing.
Sometimes all I can do is smile at a stranger.
And sometimes all I can do is look you in the eyes with love.
Mary Kay arrives to Heaven On the back of a Harley
–dedicated to Mary Kay Crawford, 1937-2014
(Mary Kay was an art therapist. This poem is based on a drawing she completed called, A date with ED)
Oh my God, she exclaims
As she enters the diner
which, between the
fluorescents and Formica, glows pink.
Coffee, black and lemon meringue pie!
she orders, taking a seat at the counter.
How you doin’? She asks the man already seated there. More roll than man, he sits in layers spilling over the counter stool.
The slice of pie arrives and is passed, have some please, she insists. It is wonderful.
Yes, Yes, it is. He smiles at her over his lowered fork.
And under the buzz of fluorescents, the layers give way to love.
Thanks, he shouts after her.
Clang, the bell slams against the glass door.
He sits, clean cup and plate
beside him.
Thank You for Showing Me the Opposite is True
When the suppression crew arrives they are warmly welcomed by Wisdom and Grace with bows and an invitation for a walk.
See how the prairie is flourishing
Look at how the compass plant follows the sun through the day
Let’s pause and notice the cup plant still holding the early morning dew
Look at the blazing stars holding the celestial light attracting the butterfly
Notice the splash of coreopsis, purple coneflower, aster, and milkweed
See how the tall grasses leave little room for invasives.
Welcome, welcome, the prairie is flourishing.
If we are need of suppressing invasives– the buckthorn and honeysuckle,
we will certainly call your crew for the controlled burn
to spark the ancient seedbed.
I
This morning, the rainbow
before the rain
The sky a diffuse light.
II
War, illness, mass shootings, a world in flame
leaving behind a home, bank accounts,
photos and grandmother’s needlework
in that moment, none of it matters,
only the hand in
your hand
as you pass death
on the street.
III
Epigenetics now tells us
what some already knew,
for seven generations trauma is imprinted
on the soul.
IV
Some are turned toward leaving,
taking intergalactic space,
rockets burn through
the atmosphere.
V
And those who always have
love the Earth anyways
the song, the dance, the tears
penetrate that greedy ash
the rain.
Living with the Possibility of Dragons
A part of me is a fantastical child
who believes in dragons and waits.
When I tell this part of me that dragons are not real
she becomes despondent, looking only at the ground
on our walk.
One day, during quiet observation, I found her drawing
the dragon– a circle around the Earth, biting its tail
And I understood the importance of dragons. The wings
and fiery breath her protection.
I cannot convince her she is safe. We agree never to trust someone who says, trust me. I come to honor her mystical magnificence.
And in our agreement, we walk kicking through leaves,
listening to birds and trees, watching butterflies, looking for lizards
taking in the sky and ever moving clouds
And live with the possibility of dragons.
Lessons from the dragon:
Genetics Undone
Elegant threads of DNA
genetic predisposition
softly blown away
with an extended exhale.
A spiraling journey
along strands of time
family inheritance, past
present and future unwind.
Elegant threads
a fine embroidered vestment–
Celtic knot, Nordic blue weave that center
the red, orange hue of the passing day.
Energetic strands now lay as waving lines
rippled through quantum fields
vibrating high and true. A family legacy
to honor and not possess.
This Days End
Tonight, I lay at the threshold of this day’s end
and die to everything known
vessels, skin, organ, and bone
connective tissue, mitochondria
all set free.
Tomorrow, I slip into the sensual
temple of this body,
bow to you and
smile in kindness.
Teacher, teacher