Friday, December 3, 2010

A General Introductory Lecture


A nightingale flies nearer the roses.
A girl blushes. Pomegranates ripen.

Hallaj will be executed.
A man walks a mountain path, solitary
and full of prayer.

Narcissus at the edge, creekwater washing
tree roots. God is giving
a general introductory lecture.
We hear and read it everywhere,
in the field, through the branches.
We will never finish studying.

Neither of us has a penny,
yet we are walking the jeweler's bazaar
seriously considering making a purchase.

Or shall I say this with other metaphors?
A barn crowded with souls.
Quietness served around a table.

Two people talk along a road
that's paved with words.