The Forest

 
Magic Forest

Juan Miguel Giralt

“One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade.”

-Chinese Proverb


Trees are wonderful teachers for adaptability and change. It struck me today that I am a Mother Tree. My daughter will climb my trunk to see the world as I do. Ignorant that a fall to the hard earth can break her bones and her heart, she will playfully swing from my branches. She will hide under my foliage when the heat of reality floods her thirst for personal truth.

I existed to endure the seasons of my own soul. Today, I stand to infuse her spirit with my own experiences. My thoughts and actions will fertilize the soil that nurtures her growth. I must also remember that her soul is of her own making, and she will grow in the direction of her own individuality.

I pray that the Forest will be compassionate to her, a surrogate Mother when I am no longer here.

Whole

I keep thinking someone or something else will add flavor to my life. I forget that I’m the key ingredient.

Unraveling the Mystery

 

Remember the mighty Wizard of Oz? Dorothy wanted to go home; Scarecrow wanted a brain; Tin Man wanted a heart; Lion wanted courage. The wizard was nothing more than a man behind the curtain.

the sky is blue fabric
wrapping you in
heaven is a place
you’ve already been
close your eyes
and you will find
your life playing
in your mind

In the Deep

Thought you had all the answers
to rest your heart upon
but something happens
don't see it coming, now
you can't stop yourself
now you're out there swimming
in the deep

Life keeps tumbling you heart in circles
till you let go
till you shed your pride and you climb to heaven
and you throw yourself off
now you're out there spinning in the deep

words: bird york
music: bird york and michael becker

*****

i sleep in dark nightmares
swim in deep blue dreams
break the surface to find
nothing is as it seems

but a homemade thought
too massive to mention
sinking me each time
i attempt ascension

words: mermaid
voice: mermaid

Stuck in a Moment

On this cold night, when the sky is black and the rain
Tiptoes around the house to eavesdrop on our evening,
I hide my thoughts under the noise of my breath
And the occasional babbles of a baby in slumber.
Earlier today I watched her grasp her Whoozit with both hands
Eating the shapes and colors of her life repeatedly
Ravenous for a replay of this scene
As if it was a one-act play.
I know the sun will burn the clouds veiling
My laundered, faded thoughts
Washed over and over again with old soap and stale acceptance,
Exposing the fabric I have become in this patchwork of people.
Still, her persistent play imbues a passion
Bleached by my years of boredom.

Last Will and Testament

i want to live as if i were dying
discarding the in between details of days
like random numbers of a losing lotto ticket
or bland lettuce from a sandwich
for the vibrant shades of life that color
us against the backdrop of sea and sky

i want my daughter to accept homosexuality
and traffic and Islam (despite her Hindu heritage)
like she were tasting her favorite cake
sweetly and seriously, savoring the texture
of flour and frosting as if they were mixed
for the sole purpose of her delight

i want to spread peace in place of HIV in Africa
trade ideas instead of military bases for oil in Iraq
but peace is not a vaccine
and ideas are expensive
in this manmade race for the finish line
for an end I cannot comprehend

i want to leave this world with a dream
sprinkled as pixie dust in black nightmares
twinkling with stars of possibilities
shimmering on a sea of change
where words are fireflies swallowing
the darkness one light at a time