Poetry week of Oct 24, 2011

Resting  Oct 24^th, 2011

Resting
Because there is no light, nowhere to go, nothing else to do…
Here in Africa….at night.

The air seems thin…not hot or cold.
Just air resting on my skin
…as I’m resting in the darkness.

I see my sons in their lives;
in their rooms, in restaurants, libraries, clubs & parks.
They are strong & bold,
but still …my beautiful, vulnerable boys….nonetheless.

I reflect on my life…
an unfinished Journey
confidence, joy, confusion, questions, sadness, love & redemption.
I wonder why I am here …alone ….by choice …or are we always alone?

I don’t understand why I had to do this
…all I know is that I was driven here,
by myself to find myself …I pray
….often.

I think of my heros …MLK, Mandela, Gandhi
and I know my struggles are small.
My pain is small. My impact on the earth is small.

However, to me it all looms large.

So it’s one step, one breath, one good thought at a time,
as I wait for the pieces to fall together,
and, at last, I see the picture of this puzzle
I pray

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Enshrined in Light    October 24, 2011

So – I realized just now – outloud,
what I have known for a very long time…innately…
That I can breathe only because of my friends.

Friendship has kept my madness at bay.
Who they are  …each so unique & precious,
has carried me over rough waters,
& through times of celebration.

One-on-one & in Tag Teams,

my friends mourn, lift, inspire.

I am enshrined in a place that glows with their light.

Can I truly express the magnitude
of the cumulative impact of their deeds,
large & small?
The answer, my friend is No!

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Living in a Movie     Oct 24, 2011

As soon as I landed,
it seemed I was in a movie.
….more like a documentary slash comedy.

The scenery is like nothing I knew from home:

loud, dirty, uncensored, raw, free.

The accents are odd
& the English does not resemble the words I hear.
…though they are speaking my language;
…if it’s really mine to claim, …here.

Mostly I am traveling along as an observer.
Pretending this is normal,
…that I am not an actor,
…in this drama slash documentary slash comedy.

I realize I am a side show, a fleeting focal point,
the odd white woman in a sea of various shades of darkness.

But frequently I am lifted.
when there is music
reminding me this is Africa.

There is no guise.
No time for western concepts,
…of sleek, smooth, polished lines.

My movie slash dark comedy slash drama
 is powerful because the images are so real,
A panoramic landscape of jagged & rough outcroppings.

My fellow actors are naturals.
Genuine natives with rich skin tones,
Bright white smiles, hearty laughs & silent eyes.
…and when the music plays the movie continues.