bursts of orange

She taught me their language She gave me their teachings Tied to African broom sticks Wrapped in mismatched string She said tie the kites to the trees When you can't find your way Look up Look home She painted them with me She sat to plait them ribbons Neon colors to rival the sky With matching plaits to trail the wind She said tie the kites to the trees When you can't see past your now Look up Look home She knew wisdom in their design She knew the truth in their frame Make the structure sturdy with all your might Believe the fabric is taut with all your heart She said tie the kites to the trees When your world is shaken & crumbling Look up Look home

In mastering nothing Seeking ownership Lifeward loveward Always poised to seek one or the other Always heading in either direction But my humanity allows nothing of purpose It craves distraction Never blameless I crave it too I wander off popping my head into different scenes Getting caught up in the music of the wanderers The poetry of the homeless The religion of the unbound Searching as they do for the ultimate secret Sitting at the foot of civilisation desperate to hear it Then the street lights come on And I'm lost So far off everything looks the same Do I ever remember to tie kites to the trees? Kites to wave me back? Back to the only journeys that matter Lifeward loveward The kites are ever instead in my tote bag I would not tie them Because I would not give up my distractions The music, poetry & religion of the kindred will forever beckon to me So I retrace my steps Knowing I doubled my journey But happily skipping along For this is a sadne...