strike the belled brain
no resonance -
melted life out of Life
then keeps the lifeless
inactive -

testing faith

caress the tingling soul
exciting neurons -
flowed love into Love
then renders it into joy
dancing -

with faith

punch the reckless body
bringing forth blood
mingling hurt with fear
black then blue
running -

without hope

paddle the floating canoe
breaking the water’s surface
rippling it into waves
streaming a wake
gently -

moving in faith and hope

toward


c. 2023 Roberta Compton Rainwater

blue-skinned and
divine,
the god moved in play -
maya

then created on two continents
two peoples
of a particular blue -
maya

related
but not

maya blue
brought
them together in spirit
in a blue
that began as maya -
play -

but ended in blue agony
and blue abandonment
as maya became
the Maya

who then disappeared
into the blue


c. 2023 Roberta Compton Rainwater

Ishmael was thirsty
a well appeared when
God spoke

thirst is everything

Jesus asked for water
the thirsting woman at the well
was blessed to serve Him

thirst is everything

faith is the well
we dip into daily
to ease our parched souls
to fill our empty
heart-cups

faith is thirst

thirst is everything


c.2023 Roberta Compton Rainwater

my spiritual heart creates
tondo    a constant
whirl
reaching into my soul
depths.   refining
cleaning
glistering
me
preparing me
anointing me
washing my feet

my heart is a tondo
circulates my essences
infinitely
in my body
washing me

the brain is a tondo
that dies last
after killing the body
from
inside
out
washing me

for my death


c. 2023 Roberta Compton Rainwater

mother’s crustiness sometimes
stretches too far
sometimes bleeds fire
and lava runs to scorch mother’s skin

she ignites her anger
warns her children in hellish flows
to keep them safe from
her fumeroles
sacrifices herself to let them
live

and
smiles from her heart eyes
that see it all


c. 2023 Roberta Compton Rainwater

cypress gets to its knees
to pray for breath
without it, breadth is not attained and
age falls away

oxygen becomes important
when rooted trees have not-enough
so
boscoyos come up from the bosque
as kneeded

how do I breathe for you
now?
you won’t root me in your soul
to
let me come up from your swampy
depth to fill your need

or mine


c. 2023 Roberta Compton Rainwater

a fantasy of love is
a sinkhole
full of water and deaths,
of hearts torn in sacrifice to
false gods, human gods,
indignities, caricatures of reality

I gave everything to them
believing
because it was easier,
because it was the program,
the curriculum,
the single choice available to me

it made of me a cenote,
drowned my heart in waters
caught
by the stony hole
in the indifferent jungle

sank me
in a deep blue hole
waiting to be discovered
by you, who made
of me a treasure, a precious cargo
priceless
worthy
beloved


c. 2023 Roberta Compton Rainwater