A shrub
Caught fire from a lightning.
New to the world, we could not
Explain why leaves turn red, why darkness
Suffocates light, why rains came and go.
Year after year, from the top of our hill,
We bore witness to spring spreading life
Across the entire valley, watched
Daily miracle of sunrise and admired
Rainbow smiling after the rain.
But when a body grew
And then grew still, we proved
Helpless. Equipped
With the wrong set of questions, we bred
A beautiful, butterfly-eating bud of a promise.
Innovative, it manufactured its own
History, came up with desired
Explanation, hatched sin, called for punishment,
Trumped up the entire creed. We finally found ourselves
Permeated, wrapped tight, a vacuum-packed treasure.
Desert air often stirs some dust. Makes it dance
And flicker in the whirl for a while.
Every morning, chilled to the bone,
City homeless abandon dank holes to enjoy
Dog-ends in the warmth of the morning light.
When beasts are asleep I place my erratic hands
On the table top in front of me, my weak
Heart between them. Judicious examination
Reveals consistent lack of need
For guidance, absence of calls for schooling.
Good lord,
Please excuse if I set
Myself free. Man-made, redundant
Like a cold rain, go now. Be at peace.