Once, the skin of all was black
Now, for so many, it has faded
as has their humanity
Crystal clear tears of the still, human
flow in rivers on
the streets of “freedom”
while their blood spills
red, then dries to black
But the flesh of the fake
contemptible, vile
is pale and bloodless
Our existence is wrapped up in busy fingertips
attracted to the alluring samples of scintillating screens
their constant updates filling our rapidly shrinking heads
But this touch has such little intimacy within its cerebral connection
where eyes no longer meet eyes; not light-filled nor even soul-piercing
soft, warm flesh not felt, and beating hearts not known
There is metal in our mouths now, that will stick in our throats
while impenetrable walls grow thicker to keep us apart
Until, out of reach, and each of us, alone
we will no longer remember how to breathe
A change came in on a strong southwesterly wind
moving thoughts around like the pointed leaves
on the holly bush just outside the bedroom window
(AND ALL MEANING WAS LOST)
A large murder of crows has claimed the tall pines
they speak loudly to one another, while
continually repositioning themselves among the trees
(IDEAS JUST PASSED ALONG)
My ten year-old cat seems content to quietly observe the wind
blowing through those bushes or some movement in the pines
before settling in on the chair’s cushion
(WHAT IS PURPOSE?)
We humans, with our big brains, just carry that weight
having no preordained path to instinctively follow
So, we flit back and forth through life, like the crows
in search of the highest perch; and as the wind
ceases to blow, we lose interest and simply circle down
like my cat, giving in to that long nap
There’s a large hole in my life raft
although I’d not fought much against the deep gouge
where my blood flowed swiftly away
along the ever-moving river
So, I am left with starting something new
along with all its dizzying freedoms
while I keep thinking of jumping
into the deepest part of that taunting river
even knowing, I will most surely drown
When I was blind
in a very small world
within my mind’s eye
there once lay the thought
of an undiscovered space, so beautiful
arrived at by means
of a lovely, tree-lined
light-filtered path
Within a shared dream
this would become our meeting ground
to which we could return
again and again, even as
our journey carried us forward
beyond vast waters
toward the distant line
where earth meets sky
Then, at the close of life’s measured time
shining in the light
of the glistening stars
ever bestowed with
the lightness of being
we would gratefully rejoice
in the transformative power
of a single thought
of unity
But now, I see
I would knead the unswallowed lumps back down
til’ our knitted brows lay smooth again
together we could untie the knots tangled in our guts
so our chests might be refilled with sparkling new treasures
Then, when unexpected wings burst from our lightened backs
we’ll know that sweet whispering wind is not far behind
just waiting, to lift us skyward
The eight semi-clear panes of the kitchen window
filter many unresolved and repeating thoughts
which drift soundlessly from my multicaverned head
into the crisp, clear, breathtakingly deep, blue sky
that you always fill so completely
every time I remember you
and that you’ve died
But I can never understand why
Heartspell 