No Man’s Land. Logan C. Jones

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      Rilke said, Live the questions.

      Well, screw him.

      Preparing for the Moon Rise

      In the late afternoon

      time of the fading sun,

      I watch six hawks

      glide on high currents.

      With quick movement of their wings,

      they soar up and down, right and left

      with intent and delight.

      Later in the evening,

      I realize what they were doing:

      They were pulling the moon

      from its sleep and into the sky

      to bless the world,

      and even me.

      I never knew the moon

      needed help.

      Maybe we all do.

      Revolution

      Nobody likes it

      when the summons comes from God.

      Certainly not Judas.

      Everything changes with God.

      Turned

      up-side down,

      and inside out,

      this becomes that; that is now this.

      The first become last.

      Children enter the kingdom.

      Demons are cast out.

      The sick are healed.

      Surely it is the acceptable year

      of the Lord.

      I wonder if Judas knew

      what he was called to do.

      If he did,

      surely it was a terrible knowledge.

      Maybe he was the only one among us

      who had the strength

      of a broken heart.

      We all deny,

      doubt,

      resist,

      flee,

      jockey for the favored position.

      We all refuse to understand.

      We all destroy and hurt.

      We all betray.

      There is nothing new here.

      I wonder if Judas

      knew what it would cost

      to complete what was

      set in motion long ago.

      But Judas answered

      the summons anyway

      and it killed him.

      Maybe it is Judas

      who sits now

      at the right hand

      of God,

      laughing.

      This night,

      I count him as friend.

      God Bless You, Mary Oliver

      after hearing “Thirst”

      Maybe it was the words,

      or your cadence, or the tone

      and timbre of your voice,

      or perhaps the gentle space you created.

      Maybe it was your impish wisdom.

      You took me to a sacred space,

      across a threshold

      to a place where I had not

      visited for a long, long time.

      You made it all so simple:

      dog, summer day, sun,

      deer, mouse, wren,

      pond, bear, God—

      even God.

      Gone and Lost the Words

      The conversation spins into a dull silence.

      I feel out of control.

      Then come all the internal messages:

      Red alert. Red alert.

      Battle stations. Battle stations.

      Dive

      Dive.

      Dive.

      Take us down, helmsman.

      Get us out of the line of fire.

      Prepare for depth charges.

      KA-WHOOOMPP. KA-WHOOOMPP.

      * * * * * * * *

      Where did I learn this?

      In the moment, I stutter.

      I squirm. I stammer.

      My throat catches.

      Nothing comes out.

      I am empty.

      Later, after the battle,

      I feel all the sadness,

      frustration, and anger.

      I feel wounded,

      shamed, and utterly defeated.

      I wondered if I am ruined beyond repair.

      When СКАЧАТЬ