—Poems and Photos by Martie Odell-Ingebretsen, Sacramento
IN SEARCH OF DESTINY
I can see the path turning,
though beyond is hidden
by a cliff of delicate fern,
with plume and grace
they reach in knowing
and peek with curling greenness
around the bend and nod,
ah, so that is the way.
And what does it matter
to this purpose which is now
just this dappling of sun
and the damp delicious earth?
Oh, but this fleeting butterfly life
feels whispers,
begging delicate urgent go,
find the music to the dance
then dance for love dance,
this blossoming has numbers
and idle wings cannot fly.
Take these words and all this paper,
these printed exclamations of feeling,
this intelligent question,
this tale of light and laughter,
all these marvelous and exploding tears
and build a tree you see,
to jump from
and see around and over this tedious trail,
to glaze the surface of this day
with delicious and glorious gleaning.
Return to midnight and stars slow circling
and release your full blooming,
for sure each small movement
is a changing thing that alters,
if only the leaf you cling to,
and dawn will seep into the dark valley
with the reverent and worthy color of hope.
THIS ONE SMALL BUTTERFLY
This tender land is dry and brittle
with stream moss covered
talking in song giggle here
this warm skin drowns in memories lair
and river stocked with ancient rock
is gold so rare
I dare roll up my pants
and bare my soul
to ooze of slushy sand
then stand like this scrub oak
in tenacious hold on sky and land
Colored like a cloud
a tremble by the breeze
a petal yet not
up here I touch wind and sky
and this one small butterfly
MOON SAIL AWAY
A celestial glow disturbed the room
and in its fade a shadow bloomed
as if this light took up some space
and beguiled the air with an embrace
so I crossed the bedroom’s gloom
into the refracted space of moon
that grazed the sky in watchful glean
and took me to a peaceful dream
leaving behind the wilted pillow
and moving over the silver willow
just a beam of purest pale
leaning into dreams a sail
then serene in the between
to flow with gilded butterfly wing
with dust of wishes made today
across the trail of milky way
Would that I could stay this flight
and be a follower of this light
though robin song would gather dust
against the bushes in cobwebs thrust
and my dear heart who still sleeps on
would reach out and find me gone
so I choose the breaking day
and the moon sailing away away
the moon sailing away
THE SPACE BETWEEN
There’s a chill in the air tonight
and it’s taking me past the moon
in the space between the milky way
and the darkness of my room
It holds me there on darkened plane
against a breath so clear
that I can feel the silken touch
of millions of loving years
The place is pealed by laughter
and glittered by lullaby
and it rocks a memories cradle
and it drinks the hurt from sigh
It is filled with music’s silence
and the peace of holding hands
the calm of ocean floating
and the strength of a golden band
There’s a light in the air tonight
and the path it takes is clear
its way is starlit dreaming
that has turned away dark fear
There’s a chill in the air tonight
and it’s taking me past the moon
in the space between the milky way
and the darkness of my room
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Today's LittleNip:
Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.
—Robert Frost
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—Medusa
