{for the Cafe Deux Soleils, Poetry Slam}

Run river run
this motion, these words, our un-
ending dance of time

You are the element of our being here
brought to light to air
through shape through sound

You are the all, always in motion
always in kind here becoming and begun
of an ancient day

Born into your motion,
carry us onward

We waged war against ourselves, we will say
We were deceived by glorious gods
and the river held our suffering and pain

We were happy and lighthearted
and we danced into the night
and the river held our joy

We made mockery of the other
and lifted ourselves up
by putting others down
And the river held our arrogance

If it is not music
it is hatred

If it is not perfect
it is fear

And you
who used my body against me
who used my silence against me

You can kill me with your words

I will rise again to haunt you
with my love

I will rise again to haunt you
with this heavenly light
that is
the river of us all
born of God
born of shadows
born of light

And flowing towards our
rapture

our becoming into Gods

and our final peace
deeper than the ocean
and as strong and sure
as looking into the eyes of a stranger
and seeing home