in lagoon the lotus ruffles her wind.
in monotone the lizard shrills his song.
the wild goose homing,
slumbered rushes oozing.
hushed lie the sedges
of beamed nuvole, vapors creep
late cranes, heavy wing, and lazy flight.
Sail the silence beneath the nearing night.

Thank you for waking me up on time
to make my flight.
I bought you a ticket, even though
you can’t come along.
I smile as you
carefully fold my favorite dress,
while I scramble
and scrape beneath the bed for my suitcase.
You smile too, but
I see the sadness rest on your lips.
It’s silent; so unforgiving.
I want to softly kiss it away,
for hours,
in a place where our bed is made,
but only for a moment,
and our memories patiently
wait their turn.

I’m not sure when I’ll land, but
I’ll keep your seat vacant
and pretend
that the clouds are your favorite part
of flying too.
I’m not sure where I’ll land, but
I’ll be able to see it all in color,
because you taught me how.
I’m not sure when I’ll land, but
I hope it will be on schedule.
Maybe next time,
we will be too.

For years, refugees

have to stay in the waiting --


area of hope.

                                                            n
                                                   n           ­   u              
                           h                 y                    s      
                    g           t         k                     r      
                                         s                    e   
                   h                  ee              w        
                       g               b           o
                             i                   l            
                                    l       f
                                      n    
                                u      
                        ­   s

                                                                ­                                  a
                                                       ­                                     w 
                                                                ­                       a
                                        ­                                         &
                                                                ­          up            
                                        ­                            up        
                                                              up­                
                             up                                 
up                                                     
            ­down               
                                          down

Over the last four summers
I merely looked out of the
five bay windows of my
brown brick walled birdcage
where primordial shadows
meet and dance in the street performing rituals in the
warm, wild & windy midnight
air.

I was only
a lonely observer.

But late one night deep
in the heart of the fifth
summer, I sensed an
odd strength surging
through
my weakened wings--
equally born of physical
and emotional pain and
desperation.

I quietly opened the
door of my cage, glided
down the driveway and
onto the street below,
enticed by warm blustery
and liberating midnight
winds under the strange
glow of moonlight through

translucent
sunbaked
and
cracked
clay
clouds,

no longer just admiring
the view of the dancing
shadows on the asphalt
floor through
windows, but actually
feeling the shadows of
those living branches
and leaves dance with
my shadow and
caressing my

hair
face
arms
legs
mind
and
spirit

as I did a
low test flight with
them for
only about forty feet
over and along the
back street below.

I longed to continue
my solo night flight
like a bird through
the midnight air in
currents of streets
and hundreds of miles
of highway where my
baby and I could head
across the

Sea of Change
and of Destiny

where we could at last
be truly free in our
hearts, in our minds,
and also physically.

But like a well-trained
domesticated bird
I reluctantly returned
to the large cage of my
mind where I continue
to dream of being free--

my
gentle
companion
and
me.