Stay

breath

tumbles, rises, falls

breath of now, control is lost

feel

time, does it pause?

feel fear, sorrow, loss

touch

touch keyboard keys

touch of linen at my feet

hear

hear the laptop hum

hear logger's load pass by

rooster, magpie, birds in sun

taste

pure water, remnants of

minty toothpaste on my tongue

smell

smell coffee's dark, strong blend

smell DNA left by my friend

heart beats slow, steady

stay

stay

with me

i'm not ready

voice

rhythms of summer sighs

voice of nature, gentle sun

missing, missing what i've not done

september feels like steps in line

september feels like fresh pencils, paper, itchy sweaters

september smells like chantarelles,

a padded forest's mossy chest

stay in now, stay with me, stay in tune in flow with me

blackberries in an aging palm

another autumn, a bit more gone

stay

listen

feel

hold

see

see how the sun falls onto the lake

see how my eyes are slightly wet

know the swell of emotion that locks in my jaw

how did it rise, what makes my tears fall

why is opening the stream in me

loosening the knot i denied into bits-

of a poem?

a poem

the challenge in me