"Esperanza”
by B. Isbell ©7/3/2007
I think of the black fuzzy moth,
Fluttering like a soul, free,
Upon the winds of the ocean shore,
Its red wings captivating my focus
As it floats effortlessly down to me
And perches itself upon the only foliage
With me upon this magnificent balcony,
Spreading the bright red luminescence
Of its perfectly shaped wings, as if to say,
You and I are both brilliant as the sun.
Our spirits embrace as she flies away.
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Starflakes dancing upon my breasts,
Falling one by one back into the sea,
The light of the universe dances upon me,
And melodies sweet guide the stars,
For me, to me,
I am one with God,
she is magnifico
… and I touched her.
I am only saddened by the fact
That I cannot live in this moment forever,
And once I depart, I shall be unable with pen,
Or tongue, to ever describe this experience,
This vibe, this calm night, justly. The night
Stars from heaven bathed me in their magic.
I am one with Grace. She is in me.
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Fragile is the life she held in her palms,
New, tender, but already hardened to our surroundings,
Bright lights, intermittently shining on the stars,
Gasping for breath, affection, attention, love, direction,
And the warmth of their mother’s nest, wiping the
Sand from their eyes and the tears from ours.
Fifty or so peer out cautiously at all the man-made
Hooplah, fan fare and commotion, pomp-n-stance.
Big stars, they are, for rookies. They don’t even
Know how to swim yet, but they all crawl toward
Instinct. The alpha and omega of nature. The fortunate,
The hard-workers, the lucky, and the brave, shall return
So that may yet another child experience the wonder
Of creation, the cycle of magic that begets life.
And she held the baby Leatherback in her hand.
I looked instead into her eyes and saw youth.
