promise
have you ever stopped yourself
beneath a douglas fir?
looked up to see
its branches, outstretched
arms, held high gathering the rays of june
but also in the evening
with the sun balanced on the horizon
they reach, gently upward
trusting a sacred vow
between earth and her star
“i will always return to you”
have you ever stood on a mountain
among the junipers
have you let the blue spruce scent the air
inhaled it deeply
felt the soothing move through you
a silent exchange that requires only
the belief: “all hurts can be healed”
with a promise to peel yourself open
to hold nothing back
have you ever joined your breath
with the wind through the prairie grass?
the swaying rhythm
when you stand among their seedheads
have you given in to the ancient dance
to your ancestor’s movements
drums, fire
two hearts, attune
you’ve only to acknowledge
how needed, that cadence
and promise to let it sustain you
love comes easy
but it stays hard
easy like the river
hard like the land
easy like the spring
hard like the winter
there are no tricks
no shortcuts
only the constants
change
grow
stay
have you ever made a promise
to the solstice moon
when it hangs so low
you can feel its pull on your skin
as if you are the ocean
your tide, coming in
“i am yours, always”
“i will let your light shine through me”
we can start the journey not knowing where we’ll go