woman

there was a strange woman
who lived down the street
she wore her best gowns
when she planted the seeds
of beautiful flowers

she built herself a garden
when all silent neighbors
were tending the lawns
laying ruly and low (green and boring)
under their feet.

she taught kids about music
and piano sonatas
and crazy forgotten traviattas
i am sure she was lonely
and i hope she was sweet


she has gone north
with the wind
the strange woman
who left us the flowers
of wonder, right at our feet

wind

it is not in my power
to break your silence
or to flap your wings
but i can whistle and blow
and raise the high winds
for you to feel
the desire to fly;
or i can silence and wait
till you feel the blade
of green grass
cutting through the dark
and into the light
and wait for the star
that you are to be born
shinning and clad
from the heat of the hearth

the gift

i give you
a rich imagination
it is a precious gift
as well as a liability
so you will often need
reality checks

if lost - you will be able
to find a path
and if a gap
interrupts your path
you will be able
to build a bridge

if lonely
you will find
a dense net
connecting
from heart
to heart
to a friend

do not fall
in love with wizards
and leprechauns
do not kiss
countless frogs
but stick to your friends

for i have given you
a rich imagination
as a gift, as well as liability
a need to hold hands with your friends
a hunger to laugh and to forget
that you need reality checks

lift

when everything falls apart
you may decide to fall to the base
and there at ground level to seek
and nurture the roots

when everything falls
you too may fall
swinging together
in  dance for a while

allow yourself a little rest
to feed on the bitter roots
gather the strength to climb
the stem of  magic bean stalks

lift up into the light
empowered by the knowledge
imparted at the base
of what will be your tree