She covers for God
Not you
Are you worthy
Of her will to be true?
To the word
As it is written
Not of man
But begotten
Into the cradle
Of our existence
Heard by those
Who lower their resistance
To what is holy
Not on earth
But in heaven
Where a woman’s worth
Is measured
By the blessing
Of her womb
Life-giving and supporting
Each new creation
Equally touched
By the unseen
But untouched
By sin
Until the apple is offered
By the bare flesh
To our sons and daughters
Yes she suffers
Behind the cloak
Of piousness
Wearing its yoke
Until the strength
Of one man’s soul
Reveals itself
To make her whole
As it was intended
For man and woman
But not before
He has proven
His understanding
That a hijab
Is not weakness
But God’s robe
Which he dare part
To find paradise
In the strength
He saw in her eyes

If
I tell you
     My darkest secret
          Will you still be here?

Will you
Take a moment
     To hold me and
          Kiss away my fear?

If
I show you
     My silliest ways
          Will you stay by my side?

Will you
Laugh with me
     And join me
          Cast all worries aside?

If only for a moment

If
I open
     My heart to you
          Will you protect the fragile parts?

Will you
Open yours
     To me
          And allow Love to start?

If
I share
My hopes and dreams
     Will you leave the past behind?

Will you
Chart a new path
      Of destiny
          With our lives intertwined?

I will

                        if

                            ­                  you will.

© Tina Thompson

Can you see it on my face?
That last smile you gave me
****
Dread
That’s what I felt
You are so ready to fall completely in love
Maybe you already have
And I’m so ready to turn out the light
Darkness is calling again
And it is all I can hear

     You see the moon
     And think of me
     But what you failed to notice
     Is how the moon is positioned
     Tomorrow there will be an eclipse

To think of life without considering anything or anyone
I need that
It’s not about “me” time
It’s about a “me” life
And you don’t know this about me yet
But what I thought I tamed
Is out of the cage
It’s running wild through your forest
The one where you go to smile and be in love
Now there is something bearing down on you
In slow motion
Because I can’t say the words
I don’t love you like that

The sun through the trees
The wind and the leaves
The ample glow
Of the pine from beneath
  The heat from the sight
  As it stands in its light
  The fear in its height
  Walking underneath
    Looking over
    Off in the distance the trees
    The rustle of leaves
    Being blown in the breeze
The comfort in shivers
Knowing you can still shake
The thoughts that you keep from dreams
When you awake
  The change that it makes
  On the life it's begun
  And knowing it's all just a part of the sun
    And you're staring
    So slowly revolving around
    The point to which
    It all has been bound
        Left over from whatever happened before
        And always compulsively striving for more

But to get to the point
Staring at the sun
Is tangible proof
That something's begun

In a dream I shall feel
The wings of the world unfolding, and
Worlds spinning on the axis of mad journeys;
And the seas breaking turquoise, upon their rippled surface.

In the heart of the ears
I shall hear the shivering willows, dreaming their
Wood-smoke dreams, full of sap and  funneled sunlight;
Pierced by light for a thousand years

And the flowers sleeping nestled in stars;
Gathered in the deep, among the wood-thrushes,
In coagulated violet forests, all shadowed and dark:
And a whispered peace barely rustles this world.

It seems today is not quite here
Well it wasn’t when I looked last year!
And if it’s not here you cannot see
How outrageous I can sometimes be

I’ll run naked through the park and city
But to be ignored seems such a pity!
Or kiss that lady on the Tube
Invisibly? – far too subdued
Dance in the street with one I adore?
****! – I’ve done that one before

So perhaps I should refrain from play
And look before I leap today!