maple and mountains

Answer to the question: What am I seeking?

Love.
what else would there be?

but what love do I seek?

love that tears me apart like the wind rips the soft seeds
out of the thistle—

that lifts me, pierces me with raindrops, drags me down into the soil—all for love—

love that is a red jewel in a bed of coals,
that says “come close, soon you will require more than warmth,
you will melt and burn as I do”

love that peels a sweet orange for me and says
“I am the juice that runs down your throat, the flesh crushed between your teeth”

love, sweet ocean, if I were a fish I would name you, if you had a name I would call you,

if I knew what seeking was, I would seek you

red peony

Answer to the question: Why am I seeking?

There is no why,
there is only the seeking—

as when I encounter a perfect flower,
I fall into it—
not simply because it is beautiful, but from the heartache
of hearing the flower singing
my very own song,
or the closest thing I have found to my song,

and so I want to fall into my love
which now has the perfect face of a flower

there is only the seeking—
as when suddenly a cloud’s frosty edge
circles a pool of blue
touches it like a kiss

and so I want to fall into my love
by becoming that kiss

only the seeking—
as when a dog encounters a plate of food
its whole being trembles

but
it is the joy
that is the real taste
even the dog knows that



for Birinder Bhullar

pipe fountain

waterfall speaks

tell me
troubled water
is the sweetest

tell me
every time
the smooth earth under me
gives way suddenly
to air

when my cry bursts out
from the jagged rocks
like a roar

when I am trapped
breathless
between earth and sky

when my shattered body
falls

tell me
troubled water
is the sweetest

tell me
it was my desire
to fly

wisteria spray

Spring, don't turn

Spring, don't turn
your head again
to Winter

look at me only

Spring, let me burn
your bright wings
free from the charred snow

let me
touch your darkness
with my breath

melt your icy eyes
to mine

look, my love, it is Spring
we have
awakened the sky

look, how passing blue
you are
without clouds