A prayer for falling stars
diving alone into the vacuum of hardly
nothin but the broken banner starkly streaming.
I sing this song not only of myself
but of the ice defrosting, the bark yielding to another ring,
of long years pressing against limits.
Even choking vines give way,
bust like chains like glass like nobody's business.

You came around just as I shined up
but you didn't guess where we are all going -
Diving through the midnight vault,
aviators steering by insight.
It's not even peripheral, it's fainter than that.
We left earth when they turned the last acres
to pieces of paper
fluttering in the sin

It was like a farewell parade
we said goodbye to ourselves
and traded places with a ready twin.
Arms around eternity
there's a universe behind us now -
earth, moon, sun, fire, water, wind at our backs.

We haven't read anything but the sky and each other's faces for months
now.
The mother who raised her hand to her child fell through
the gap between moments and saw the rabbit racing between posts.
It was then she knew there was more to all this than the wrapper,
the chocolate coating and the wooden stick.
Fire ants couldn't stop her from feeling her child's pain now.

In awe the bitter cup of brew broke its silence.
In awe the mushroom took a stand.
In awe the green leaf bowed in service
to the hurricane that shook the coast
and broke the ailing host.

I'm talking two times the sense
and four ways to the future.
I'm talking Brokedown Palace and Terrapin.
I'm talking salt on the tongue and dirt on the knees.
I'm talking excuse me, thank you, please.
I'm talking wash over you with gratitude and prismatic cells.
I'm talking perfect string tension and coyote harmonics.
I never promised you less than everything so forgive me if this looks
like jive -
work with me here, it takes a lotta lemons to keep perfect time.

back to top

send comments to info@poetrybay.com

first electronic copyright 2000 poetrybay. 
all rights revert to author