Beginning’s Grace

If you wish for the light
prepare yourself to receive it (Rumi)

I dream of our boat-bodies reaching a sea of shells
we stick our soft earlobe into them to hear the song of homecoming
their white boned crisp body of spiral
hissing their sea song to us

I dream again of Magdalene, we live on her street
pressed by the foot-soles of pilgrims, heels bleeding in search of lover
I wake up with my back resting against yours
birdsong soaking our rooms and bodies

We let the light in

I become
a body of joy
my heart’s edges saturated in prayer for you

I leave the old house
momentarily change shape from solid to fluid
escape through the old cracks
resolidify, strengthened by a miracle

***
Preceding poem
February, 2024

Here’s your garden
emptied now, at the end of winter
You have loved your past into soil, here, under your feet
vibrating with fertility

here’s your garden
and here:
are your seeds

you plant them on a new moon
you water them with daily prayer
you feed them your attentiveness

this
is the lover seed that needs your opening
it grows best at low light
not too much watering
don’t drown it with too much, too soon

and this
the seed of mothering
growing easily in good ground, nurtured
by the mycelium

and this
god’s seed
blossoms when your body comes close enough to it
singing at night, watching you sleep
feeding your dreams

here’s your garden, here are your seeds

now watch them grow