Looking Up, I’m Tenderized
Looking up, hearing wind strong through trees
I’m tenderized, my ears and eyes like receivers,
watching myself falling in love, love, love,
Love!
Seeing that love come off this page that was
also once a tree,
Feeling my ordinary self getting unpaged now,
hinges low and steady
horizon bright and sovereign,
Whole plant sky and soil wrapped in pleasure,
desire studied, redefined —
holding this moment inside my fingers and feet
like clay, close but malleable,
an open heart strong,
elongated by hands that found
power in the field of movement,
that feel the pulse of breath in bark,
like the way water holds memory and vibrates sound,
like the way fire dances in the earth of our bodies.
Knowing moss and creek,
leaf and elbow, spore and song,
knowing this new simple,
the space inside that feels
so good outside,
knowing this:
This was a good day.
This is a good love.
.
.
.
© 2022 Alma Ortman. All Rights Reserved
