The Flag
At our best
we show our true colors,
fly the flag that stands
for our deepest, broadest
allegiance to each other,
to the Earth holy & diverse.
These are my colors:
purple of my sorrows, my remorse,
my shame for betrayals of the heart,
most often of omission,
through weariness or fear.
blue of my memories
that make my history of wings
that soar to the mountains
& drop to the ravines,
complex topography of myself.
green of my hopes that wing
my desires & lend will
to my acts, that inform
even my opposition
to outrage.
yellow of my joy that tastes
of the sun, exultation in the
wealth of the senses,
root of my power & my love.
orange of my abandon, my surrender
to my living, mindless of laws
that would fetter the steps
of my wildest dances.
red of my love that colors all
& is the root & flower & fruit,
the heart of my belief
& what I know of truth.
This is my flag;
its colors run,
diffuse at the edges,
blend, shade
into hues, half-tones
difficult to name.
The tongues that praise it
are so many, so varied, & so sweet
their chorus rivals the birds’
& silences the angels in their flight.
Known everywhere
as sign of peace & joy,
let this be our flag;
its colors dance.
The Hands are a World
We do not hold the world in our hands
but our hands are the world
they impose upon the Earth —
be it with a caress
or with a blow.
Let us hold hands
& make the world whole.