Sunday, August 28, 2016

Bless me father ....




Bless me father ....

As a little one I yearned for 
a gentle hand to cup my head,
brush my cheek with parchment
fingertips, to turn when I did, on
small feet, hurry toward, to smile 
at my back when I left ..free then
to cross the threshold and nibble
the delights from the plate of the day -
sighing deep relief safe under the count-
less protection of the bless soaking my
fledgling soul






Bless me ...





Bless me  ....

As a little one I yearned for  a gentle hand to cup my head,
brush my cheek with parchment fingertips - to turn when I,
on small feet, did hurry toward -  to smile at my back when
I left -  Free then to cross the threshold 
to nibble at delights from the plate of the day -
sighing deep - safe under the count-
less protection of the bless that set
my unfolding fledgling soul to soar ....

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Omran est notre enfant


Omran est notre enfant
(Omran is our child) 

Oh Omran -I wipe the dusty
blood from your face with a
clean,cool, white cloth- gently 
rock you in my arms and soak
you in tears of guilt admission
When I saw you sitting there -
bewildered touching blood -
tousled hair - dusted with the ash
of adult hell unleashed in the name
of some cause or another - When I
saw you, my eyes scurried across
the page piteously scanning to see

if "we' or "they" were to blame - oh

Aleppo angel staring soul into soul -

stopping me with the searing shame

of all innocents. In your implacable

stare I knew as surely as if you had

pointed your bloodied fingers at me -

there is no we or they - All of us have
your blood on our hands as we scroll
screens and wipe newsprint - and sit, sit, sit -
within walls of our collective failed protectorate
We must stand - each and all of us - speak your
silence -until all children look to the sky expecting
only sunshine, raindrops,snowflakes-until all children
sleep secure- their unexploded world softly breathing -
I kiss your eyes with my bleeding heart and surrender
to the dust of all souls-including my own that contribute
to the reigns of terror - collapsing the sky your blood un-
washable from my hands-my heart -Oh Omran, abandoned
son of us all -We see you -See our shame writ in the tousled
bewildered innocence of blood that limns our legacy in the
dust of our collective immorality... "We? ... or "They?" there
is no difference in the emptiness of your disappointed stare.
It is on us all
the shame....
and solution
- peace. -

Saturday, August 13, 2016

Baby Boy


I loved you as they rubbed the slip-slime from your
body freshly slid from your travel from my womb
to world – sacred charge – I would stand before
a bullet for you – so powerful steel would bounce
softly against my milk filled breasts – Invincible – 
our bond inviolable – a brand set to burn burnished
into the epi-center of my soul, ignited by the sound 
of your first cry – Nothing could ever chip the solid
soul-bond birthed fresh in that tropic dawn –I felt it-
that inexplicable, actual, aching stretch of my heart -
as you tiny soul-mate set sail apart and part of me – 
forever in the brightest crook of my being. Or so
I led myself to deliciously trust in totality 
erroneously – apparently – undeniably -
now, that you are grown, flown and gone

as baby boys shall always come to be..