by Camille Denise Patrick
Condensation breath
Little lips pressed against the glass
Slow blinks of innocence
I see her in myself
Transfixed by parked cars
And the gray of Connecticut yards
That magic enters through her
She breathes it out into the ether
Her gift is her very being
Her soul’s song a seizing muse
Her captivation with the innocuous
Is the beauty in this world
I wonder if I’ll ever
Receive that kiss of hot breath again
That shot of lightning to the heart
Catch my reflection in the stars
How can that morph
Into your morgue
Self-smother of your spark
No direction in a moonless dark
I once watched the blink of Christmas lights
And saw the glistening of that holy glass
I once saw God’s hand guide sands of time
The future a failsafe buoy
Will we last the calving
Our humanity shreds and bleeds
Will all be left is laughter
At our own husk of beauty?
Or will we find our roots
Breathing in God’s work
And feel The presence in us
The stirring of our souls?