the silken thread that binds me
to the voice of the muse
vibrates with her subtle speech
in a way i can’t refuse

stitching heart and mind
though tenuous and fine
the beauty of this filament
is illumined and divine

and though i’ll never claim it
i will seek it all my days
until at last i’m laid to rest
no more to leave her gaze

to leave fear behind
like a nightmare
broken by dawn

to live freely
like an unbridled horse
galloping across the plains

to love life
like the sun loves the earth
and the earth loves the moon

to sing and dance
like the wind sings in the trees
and the trees dance in the wind

to see beauty
in every created thing

she reaches my heart
as she sings her song of light
restoring night-withered spirits
with dawn’s melodious sight

silence creates music
darkness creates light
the good makes the bad
and wrong allows for right

without up there is no down
if we don't die we aren’t alive
a breath in is a breath out
and in departing we will arrive

her wings glinting shades of autumn
as low-angle sunlight fills the ash tree
and embraces all below in golden light

she glides around me twice and falls
scarred yellow swallowtail wings lie still
the cloud-veiled sun mourns a fallen daughter

i knelt to see dull eyes and a worn body
life-scared wings told combat tales
a life well-lived on any scale