Oasis

A portal,

an eye,

opening into an ancient

innocence,

a child-

hood floating,

frozen in time.

Spiders living in the spyglass,

their silk webs

a capsule,

making cozy their metal ship,

navigating the playground

their desolate castle.

I sprint through the squelching

green pastures

to find you--

I see you, dancing

through the wood

still wild.

Racing water fairies in the stream,

flurrying, frolicking--

somewhat

free,

safe between

the towering presence

of Mother Willow's

weeping

sanctuary.

Bumbling

from flower to flower,

turning over

snakes and dead leaves;

no concept of what’s

“ugly,"

just honestly

existing.

Questioning

everything…

curious about anything--

moving.

I trudge through the muck

you’re so close, but fuck

the muddy ground

slowly

sucks

my sandals,

I discard them

stuck,

and kneel at your bare feet;

before I gather my words,

before I can even speak,

the shimmer

in your doe eyes

quietly bleats,

and like liquid magic

the words pour

out of me

“I’m so glad you found hope

here… in one tranquil corner

of your tumultuous world…

We survived the implosion

in one piece,

minus 7 screws,

a titanium plate—I know you were so excited

to finally

make

Mommy proud…

one day…

And that

like Daddy's promises

the way they took shape,

the spherical iridescence

formed to float off

and dissipate--

in the far distance

his debts

inevitably

fade…

God forgiven or barely paid.

Once the aftermath

of ‘08–

any day now…

mystically,

economically

sways…

that oasis in mid air

finally

appears--

after years of

“awaits…”

I want to save you

some time…

space,

angst

decades

of disappointment

and yearning,

prayer,

pressure

and pain.

I’m so,

so sorry

to say

it did not

happen that way…