Legend of the Fall

Moth plunged close in silence,
Dancing nearer and nearer to the flame,
Yielding in the quiet air, bending wings,
Twice and twice again it came,
Round and round as though imploring kiss—
Kiss of passion tempting death.

Suddenly the tremorous flame
Gave way in draft of tranquil air—
Reached out to touch fragile wing,
Learned a final blue regret.
No scream was heard;
Hardly visible the vapored trace of
Smoldering grey wisp of smoke.

Ah, my heart cleaved in two—
Standing, watching as moth fell in flames.
What bright logic, what destructive impulse
Called it to unbleeding doom?
Why did flame not move the other way….
Refuse to burn this dancing moth
Fluttering as it seemed to seek death’s dark sway?

Do you spend out your days this way?
Do you offer kisses to the blazing Sun
That calls you— ready to grant
Wordless wish floating inside your daily prayers?
Life is about joy, not fear— no need
For caustic plunge to sacrifice your youth.

Be not burned but be the one who burns victorious,
Never surrendering worth of life to shame.
Who do you think you are— immortal star?

Mighty Grief That Broods

 There’s a space within my heart
Where broods a mighty grief.
Cries not simply from the necessary loss
But unnecessary pain.

No wonder Mother Earth is parched—
Wide salty seas rage and crash on shore,
Fields flood with mournful sighs,
Tired eyes deprived of good sleep.

Where are blessed wings of angels?
Where is justice for the poor?
As clouds shed uncried tears—
Only drops of morning dew get through.

I both want to know and am afraid to know.
Such answers reveal
No simple answer why so much seems wrong.
Grotesque how my heart still longs to love.

All answers are but stages of the Way.
For now I pray within great Unknowing Cloud,
Growing older, uncomprehending, wrinkling,
Dying without having explanation.

Out of Thin Air, I Hear Music

This morning I woke in a house
Slightly wider than it was the night before.
Quite suddenly I noticed the room
Had lost its roof—clouds moving
High above like angel’s white wings.

Out of thin air, I heard music
Swirling around, circles and waves…
Echoes composed again and again
Pointing first to the Sun, then to full Moon—
Light of the universe filling the room.

Sitting here watching dust motes,
Spiderless webs in the corners….
Can you tell if I am waking or going to sleep?
All I know is I’m lost in a cloud that can’t rain,
Rising and rising toward veiled risen Light.