The Journey into Autumn

 Some rights reserved by Grigor Hristov

Consider the trees which allow the birds to perch and fly away without either inviting them to stay or desiring them never to depart. If your heart can be like this, you will be near to the way.

--Zen Saying--

Yearly Prayer

Some rights reserved by onkel_wart

 As we head into the season of slowing, I want to remind myself of what I hold dear, and what dearly holds me.

I wrote this poem last year, a response to a particularly moving class I was taking for my MLIS degree.  I think it's an appropriate prayer to repeat for this upcoming year...maybe it will become a yearly missive...and maybe my desires will change, as all changes with the touch of years and seasons.

Desire
or, A Prayer for a Well-Worn Life


Gimme gimme gimme
more tactile experiences,
more open, less closed, fewer back-alley heartaches.


I want what matters-
you know- glitter and shit.


I want to look you in the eye to see what's hiding.


World, please please please smack me in the face with
the breath and
the blood and the
bone of it.


I desire a bumpy ride with good conversation.
I'll take the good ones, but want to know the wicked ones better.
Traitors, start the line at my door.


I want to live sugar cubes and meatloaf and sassafras,
taste more poetry on my tongue,
touch the pupils of open, fearless eyes.


So life? You listening?

Bring it.

© 2009 L.M. Dziemiela