
the bee is my brother
we’re one family
the wind is my sister
she calls out to me
the earth is my mother
i sprang from her womb
the sky is my father
he makes mother bloom
–photo by aaron

the bee is my brother
we’re one family
the wind is my sister
she calls out to me
the earth is my mother
i sprang from her womb
the sky is my father
he makes mother bloom
–photo by aaron

the whip still in his meaty hand,
he bellowed at his son,
“my pa whipped me when i was bad–
it never hurt me none!”
and so, in time, the boy grew up
to make the same admission–
what started out as child abuse
was now family tradition.
***
you either
face your demons
or they
raise your children
–unknown

Adrift upon the Sea of Night
And lost in shades of black and white,
I saw a friendly, dancing light
Upon a distant shore,
And as I left my bleak repose
And sought the dark expanse to close,
Beyond the light, a voice arose,
Then two, then three, then four.
I raised my sails, set my sights
And hastened toward this light of lights–
The voices raised to lofty heights
And filled my heart with cheer;
This place I knew so little of
seemed filled with peace and joy and love,
I laughed and praised the Lord above,
But then, as I drew near,
I found a void between us ran,
And though no hardy sailin’ man,
I battled hard the gulf to span,
So deep, so long, so wide.
The sea grew rough, my ship was tossed
It wasn’t long, I knew I’d lost
The chasm’s breadth could not be crossed,
I hung my head and cried…
And then I woke and left behind
The Sea of Night inside my mind;
I looked around the room to find
My kids playing on the floor,
And suddenly it came to me
The voices were my family!
I rose and held them lovingly
Upon that distant shore.