promises, promises

you came and cast fire on the earth.

you came and were distressed.

you divided households.

you divide three against two,

and two against three.

you divide father against son,

and son against father.

you divide mother against daughter,

and daughter against mother.

you did not come to bring peace.

you brought a sword.

you came and set men against their fathers,

and daughters against mothers.

you said our enemies would be

members of our own households.

i must love you

more than father or mother,

more than son or daughter.

i must carry my cross

or else be unworthy.

so demanding. and yet

for you i will lose my life.

for you i will gain it.

the room

you will always be

the most beautiful

person in the room

light headed

every word spoken

caught breath

pounded heart

tightened gestures

the eye drawn

memory veil

*

this dance

carries us

through the day

and sometimes

the night

Weight

It is the weight

of the moment

I fear. The wait

of everything suspended

in the air, the breath

caught, the body

tense. Intention

is no replacement

for a well-executed plan.

Make ready your hands,

prepare yourself

for all that heavy lifting,

heart breaking

labour, back

breaking doubt,

the two-fisted reach—

the question of who

you are, the pressure

of your skin.

A Road to Emmaus

I find myself wondering
if I too would be found
wandering the road
to Emmaus. My feet dusted
with hope,
                 step by step
the evidence of absence,
the story shared again
and again: do we dare believe?

And then, the stranger
who joined us in our questioning.

Would I have invited you in?
Would I have offered you room?
Would I have remained blind
while my heart burned within me?
Would I have run after you
after you were gone?
Would I have run after you?

April is National Poetry Month!

One more week and it's once again national poetry month, a celebration of words for both Canadian and American poetry lovers!

 
















As in previous years, my goal is to post a new poem each day.

You can find other participants at NaPoWriMo.net.

Join me--whether as a writer or a reader--and let me know what you think.