Body and Soul

Body and Soul

I am body
searching for soul
all of this living
is taking its toll.

My broken limbs
those hidden bruises
all of this dying
one never chooses.

Perfect in moments
of lustfull bliss
all of this loving
we'd never miss.

Now there are signs
of rapid decay
all of this searching
I must not delay.

Inclement (Poetry for the Modern Soul)
Autumn 2009

Don't Just Do Something, Stand There

Some Monday morning thoughts while all around me people are rushing for the bus or train, frantically trying to get the kids dressed for school or walking the dog because they won't be home until midnight - there is another way. I know it is heretical (for all us good believing capitalists), and almost everyone I know would say, "Yes, but I need to work for a living... " Indeed. Still, there is another way to live. Read Wayne Muller's Sabbatical: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight In Our Busy Lives, for example, and reflect on his alternatives. Book off sick today. Or try and work a different way. Go to work the long way, through the park. Meditate. Curl up with a good book (like Emma Donoghue's, Room). Take a bath. Play with your grandchild. Stare at the sky. Doodle. Make love. I know you're thinking, "Lucky fellow, he's got the time." Yes, I made the time. You can too.

Urgency

I'm living
mid grace and gravity
and dearth

Inhaling
the urgent lethargy
of earth

No longer
embracing the racing
towards worth

Now pregnant
with creativity
and girth

Awaiting
the sweet expectancy
of birth

My dying
still in its infancy
and mirth.