O great being of invisible breath

garbage collector of the smooth way

take all I have to offer

my animal nose, my faulty eyes

my sad skin. Burnish it

so all is knee and knuckle.

Leave me my debris, my spiders

my rotting material.

Help me make it breathe

shine and sag in the dark.

O great god of vegetable nature

let me fur up like that aging yellow squash

in the mossy bottom

of the refrigerator drawer.

Becoming, always becoming.

One life dead to it, now food for worms.

Help me spread myself

here and there not knowing

or caring what will spring forth.

Help me decompose.

O great dark star

may I matter

please help me matter

in my own invisible

and gravelly way

dark     dark     dark

give me a mineral heart

small hard center

a cinder, a jewel

the slinging rock

that skips over the cool

breath of the lake.

∞

From the Spring 2013 issue of Inquiring Mind (Vol. 29, No. 2)

© 2013 Marty Williams