Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Minesweeping


Picking through now: my
god I was running so fast then, leaving behind time bombs and land mines as I fled
to make sure I would never look back or slow down or god forbid turn around and try to walk sanely again through this madwoman's minefield, now grown over with goldenrod and meadowsweet. 

I ran a slick path toward other choices, to hide in the city, to pretend among fumes and pavements that I was fresh and ready, that there was nothing behind me but the wide ocean... 
That there was no home waiting... 

Within a day I missed soft green under foot and soft eyes of family, so I soon returned to them,
but stayed apart from this field, walked only the perimeter, monitoring, until I trusted my eyes and my footing. 

Picking through now: in my treacherous meadow of old mines,
I am stepping, guessing, testing disturbed spots one by one. 
Slow work, careful work, through thick sedge that shadows and tangles my feet, that hides the triggers and trip lines. 
I am fearless, though, and slow.
As I find each snare I choose my fate, knowing that blowing everything open is the only way to be whole. 

© Laura Seale, 2014

Click link below to watch brief video of land mine explosion:

Land mine from World War II
from Wikimedia Commons




Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Simile and Metaphor


On the dance floor,
holding you at arm’s length,
Simile, with one finger,
will twirl you like the last leaf
spinning in Autumn wind.
When the song ends,
he is content with a quick hug, 
a tiny peck on the cheek.

Metaphor, on the other hand,
holds you tightly enough
to take your breath,
gives you the deepest French kiss.
It all happens so fast
that before you can say “stop!”
you find yourself in an unfamiliar bed,
pregnant with images
ready to be born.

© Jean Sampson, 2014

A couple dancing tango
Photo by Jorge Lascar
from Wikimedia commons

Monday, July 7, 2014

First Breath


At the Bang
there is breath
a singular point
God willed into being
inhales into consciousness
cosmic vibrations now manifest
nature's cycles unfold

At the moment of creation
the universe awakens
darkness recedes
across space and time
evolutionary forces unleashed
life exhales deeply
and exits silence's fertile door

© Bill Vollrath, 2014

The Phillip Medhurst Picture Torah 3. Creation. Genesis cap 1 v 10
from Wikimedia Commons