And So Am I
When holy songs
become heavy stone
it’s time to
move.
Shake your knees
and throat.
Let your head
be a drum.
Open jaws and
wail with oceans
inside.
Then step outside,
collect the arrows
pressing
on your chest
and lay them down
like an honest bouquet
on the riverbank.
You have this choice,
solid as the rocks
you stand on.
There’s large life
and grace
on the other side of
pain
today.
See this moment
over the story.
See forgiveness
on top of your hands.
See the beauty
that I place
inside.
And when you get
dizzy
from being salty and
alive,
and when your belly
feels warm
and back to full,
Look for me in the eyes,
where I always am,
deep and wide
welcoming you
home
and opening windows
in the room
of our heart.
Let’s let light in!
See how it tastes like
a lagoon,
like the color teal,
like air?
You’re free.
Breathe it in
and plant your toes
like a queen
into the grass and mud
of the mother
who’s always underneath
you, breathing
too.
.
.
© 2019 Alma Ortman. All Rights Reserved.
