my blue eyes
when deeply angered
(too often)

your blue eyes
when I’m dangerously close
to angering you
(too often)

my thin lips
when insulted beyond
my humor

your thin lips
when anyone is insulted

we are so different
and
yet, so similar

I am flesh
you are spirit
ensouled in flesh

my adamantine
is selfish
yours,
un

my path now
to follow
to learn the lesson
of adamantine being,
selflessly


c. 2023 Roberta Compton Rainwater

Shin

you tower over me
in every way
possible
soul
spirit
being
goodness and
Love

Soe

I reach to touch you
short by several measures
wanting to put my blossom
beside you
upright yet wanting
ever wanting to
reach your heights

Tai

grounded
I keep my soul stilled
nearest your feet
nearest your earthed roots
to balance the wanting
wanting
wanting
in my being
to be yours


c. 2023 Roberta Compton Rainwater

and thus it goes
circular and direct
feminine and masculine
woman and man
and not in that order
in God’s judgement

it’s in the breath
which He put in man
as his blessing
to give strength for hard labor
not in the rib that is woman’s
blessing
to give strength for childbirth

God’s judgement is
all that matters
it is done

tamam shud


c. 2023 Roberta Compton Rainwater

there burns midst a
soul
within the breadth of
holiness

a starry fire
to
birth itself
of living Light

and enflame the
mystery
of holiness
hidden within the heart-rose

which
like the water lily
rises from depth
unknowable

from heated unknowable
depth
from infinite unknowable
holiness
from burning intimate
creation

amidst us


c. 2023 Roberta Compton Rainwater

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