Faith Hope & Fiction

A Wilder Flame

I awaken before the dying
morning star and in the
clear air I see the pledge,
the brightening ray. I leap
from dreams to the flaring
scent of flowers in the birth
of this quiet hour, the dawn’s
wings lifting my soul so high.
Today I may taste the light
of spring, the pulse of the
day so unreal I can’t believe
it’s true, the sapphire sky
so far above me, a part of
me infused with all the joy
of destiny fulfilling its own
name; I let the face of God
shine through. Love opened
the door in my heart and
cried out to me; a wilder
flame lives inside of me.

Tidings

Somewhere my dreams prism
their reflection in the deep
cushion of the night, the luminous
centers of my eyes open to a
bouquet of truth. My heart
speaks softer than a ribbon,
softer than even time, droplets
from its tongue I wear as jewels.
I long to be a cerulean light,
no stray threads to eclipse my
thoughts, prayer the nucleus
of my universe, and I put
myself in the way of beauty
in my waking life: in a daffodil
afternoon tidings of a rainbow
shower sparkling in the bowl
of my hands.

Exhale

I breathed His name in
wind-touched silence
and I loved the grace
inside each breath,
the warm rush of earth’s
water, the subtle altering,
every movement a whis-
pered flame, the tide of
saffron music rising in
my soul. I exhale when
the sun traces my skin,
my face, with its finger-
tips; the tang of hope
so close to my lips.
I dream of stretching
my palms to the sky,
my heart so wide, no
longer hidden beneath
shy wings.