Moon Madness
In a passage of sleep
I awoke to dream
to merge with the whispered
wakening of my mind.
I ventured forth
into a womb of darkness
cloaked in the solace of
an echoing heartbeat.
Through conjured images of past and present,
in shadows of receding time,
I seek intangible truth.
Guided by spiraling star-armed defenders
bearing shields of ethereal light,
my hands stretch forth
to sense existence . . .
abruptly I awake –
to find myself in bed tucked gently,
embraced by moonlight streaming in,
safe at home in a world of my making,
not sure I dreamed or lived.
Black Oak
The tree crashed to earth
in a sprawl of
crushed and tangled limbs,
a towering black oak
that had survived countless
storms and drought conditions.
But over the years,
unseen traumas, heavy winds,
fatigue of snow, down pours,
the broken limbs,
weakened its hold.
This provider This sustainer
reduced suddenly
to a chaotic pile
of broken majesty,
an undignified demise
for this centuries-old tree.
Yet in death
it still provides, it still sustains.
In humble gratitude
I gather firewood
for winters to come.
