Origins of Loveliness by Shirin Swiftwhen her face set down on the earth
and all things disembarked, becoming the world
she left an imprint that, one day, with the right tools
we may be able to undust
and when we recognize our face in everything
what will become of us
when i first met her she was naked, and miraculously,
so was i, calf-deep in sweet peas, when she was
pressed, listening, to the earth, she said, no one forced me to be there
no one forces you to be here
and I took one deep photosynthetic breath before I left,
took out all the harsh star gas so there'd be enough for soft things
to breathe and grow, and so there'd be something
to put back when the time comes
i found a way to taste that celestial tongue, and what it tastes,
and what she tastes because she left some in my mouth
i crawled up her waist feeling like a universe
into clouds and left the imprint of my palm on the walls of heaven where
others had done, suddenly one day, i felt it burn behind my skin
from a time before i was born
when her face set down on the earth
and all things disembarked becoming one
11/04/2006 Author's Note: i've seen a photo of an aboriginal cave of handpaintings and there is a similar one in S America, made me think of oneness etc. how small a being is in relation to mountains & caves let alone anything larger such as spirit/deity, got me thinking about origins
Posted on 11/04/2006 Copyright © 2024 Shirin Swift
Member Comments on this Poem |
Posted by Kathleen Wilson on 12/19/06 at 09:31 AM So beautiful... I am imagining you read this aloud...a story of origins, and we press our poems, like hands, into the sky (that's why stars are five pointed, right?)....wonderful images, I love it. |
|