Sunday, December 02, 2007
Two Poems About Love
San Francisco has a poetry writing group for older lesbians, and I keep meaning to go but haven't made it yet. But here are two poems I received in the mail this morning from the leader of the group, one from Marge Piercy and one by Joan Larkin.
Come step into the fire, come in,
come in, dance in the flames of the festival
of the strongest sun at the mountain top
of the year when the wheel starts down.
Dance through me as I through you.
Here in the heart of fire in the caves
of the ancient body we are aligned
with the stars wheeling, with the midges swarming
in the humid air like a nebula, with the clams
who drink the tide and the heartwood clock
in the blood thundering through the great heart
of the albatross. Our cells are burning
each a little furnace powered by the sun
and the moon pulls the sea of our blood.
This night the sun and moon dance
and you and I dance in the fire of which
we are the logs, the matches and the flames.
*** by Marge Piercy
SELF-LOVE
Breast to my breast
I held my beloved
with both hands
her breath
came through my house
closed eyes re/member
river cinnamon fern
sea cave and wet
conch unburied by my fingers
from pulling mud
I make my body sing
I am the potter and the spinning clay
She sings: I center
I put my two hands to myself
and heal all this.
*** from A LONG SOUND by Joan Larkin
