I muse onward full circle
still the dead whisper in my ear;
memories of ghosts torn asunder
I am left wandering
in silence our journey continues
to unfurl, tapping the undergrowth
like an ancient drum
the wind caressing me windy
breathing words of comfort
I feel your voice
in the silence I resist tears
drawing power from the familiar
and yet unknown.
it is not my time
mistakenly I bend to embrace
a small child, bedraggled in the mire.
defying clay and rock
a river, the source of all that is
to return me to my self
my branches burst – thaw
seeping into treelike veins
my body aches to warm.
you turned your back
I am left behind in you
wounded. afraid.
I snatch a quick glance
in your direction, damp
eyes I remember;
the dark is lonely without light
in spite of me
my gnarled roots continue to bore
deep into the earth, and live
still I make no sound.
the night is cold
I am shivering in my spine.
© 2009 Jodine Derena Butler. All Rights Reserved
