Forgiven for loving
when anger was the owner of the sky
forgiven for living
when endings fell in frightened rain
forgiven for being
when pieces broke up pieces into pieces
forgiven for open
when closing pulled the tears from stone
forgiven for silence
when distance was the measurement of touch
When the great fear comes
I turn my eyes away
and force it down
into the never empty box
but pushing down is a kind of rain
that gives nourishment to grow again
my great fear is not of dying
it is of living
Unforeseen consequence of breathing
failure to attempt to lift the planet
wobbling on its knees
opening eyes wider and wider
seeing less and less
the measuring equipment
seized with rust and ice
tossed into the rolling ocean of existence
crushed by the illusion of choices
seeking joy hands up
sliding down the ski slope of the heart
When I moved into empty
the place that sends me poems
lost my address
so I wrote this note
to let them know
there was someone still awake
in the void
The puzzled angel of perfection
posed with impatience
on the transparent floor of reality
and blasted me full in the face
with a universe of truth and beauty
knowing I must respond
with all the love that could explode
through cracked eyes of impossible yearning
When there nothing to say
I speak nothing
can you hear me
Flawed perfect beings
had tea
and discussed making choices
I’ve been carrying a trunk
full of anchors
balanced on my head
I can feel them shifting
coming loose one by one
but if I let them go
if I lose them
will I float off untethered in space
how will I navigate
among a million stars
a million miles away
I thought I was in a transit system
so I bought a ticket
but I never left the bus
I kept hoping
the next stop would be different
would be better
but at every stop
the same world was waiting
now I’m looking for the bus to peace
I listen to my friend
tell me a story
he has told me several times before
it’s one of his favourite stories
he listens to me listening
then I tell him the story
I told him last time
it’s one of my favourite stories
I listen to him listening
we have other stories
friendship can be like this
or we can sit in silence
listening
