from thunder of a butterfly’s wing, my first collection of poetry (all poems are original 2001)…
Kindred Spirits
kindred spirits meet
not by chance
but in spite of it
a candle dances brightly
in the gentle breeze
hearts skip a beat
how can this be?
it simply is..
enjoy the moment
every breath,
every last rose
~
River
drawn to water
we watch, we drown
in the rapids
in the unknown maelstrom
to cleanse
to live again
life is a river –
jump in
i want to float to a quiet place
where the water eddies and swirls
in the shade of a weeping willow
whose branches lean
down to kiss the water
i want to sit at the river’s edge,
on the wooden bridge and dip my toes
in the water
when the water gets too cold
and the minnows bite like sharks,
i will stand and
walk
further
we stand on the shores
watching
we bathe in the water
to come clean
we drown
life is a river
streams, creeks, lakes
join and divide
all water flows out
to somewhere
life is a river –
jump in
we watch, we drown
we sit calmly in the water’s arms
balanced precariously
on a boat that should not float
we check for wholes, holes
in the boat
not a soul without us
another day of fishing
~
Candle Light
i am idle tonight, as I watch the candle wax fold
and melt into the dish.
thoughts drift and sway, like clouds on a breeze…
still my heart from beating, while the light dances across
my fingertips.
i cannot hold this captive in my hand,
any more than I can build a rose.
instead, I let the light slip through, free to flicker,
and dip to the shadows…
eyes closed. Eyes opened. Breathe in. Breathe out.
i drink from this cup of tea, and
feel the ridges where the cracks mark its ceramic face…
heat radiates outward, as I cradle it close to me
the candle gutters, drawing shadows closer
nothing forms.
everything forms.
the pulse, I feel it, in the tips of my fingers,
and it blocks the cold hard surface
of the window.
eyes closed. Eyes opened. Breathe in. Breathe out.
i am idle tonight, as I watch, the wax fold and melt, trace the rim
of my cup with my finger and feel the
candlelight dance,
in my heart, in my soul
~
Pebbles
pebbles in the ocean,
i drop them one by one.
standing on the shoreline,
across my shoulders,
i feel the sun.
move to cooler waters,
among the shining waves.
as I watch the pebbles fall away,
their shadows still remain.
floating on the water now,
i am cradled in its arms.
wash me clean, unfold my heart,
hold me close always,
fly me like a bird,
fly me home again.
with these new wings,
tears of joy stream down my face
and flow like rivers to my heart
dissolve those last few shadows
while the current pulls me in
azure sky above me
emerald valley all around
diamonds twinkle like the stars
wrapped in a crimson flower
i hear children’s laughter
and the singing of the breeze
i realize with a sudden smile
that is comes from within me
pebbles in the ocean
i have dropped them one by one
embrace the pain that lingers here
as I play through this golden light
on this, the morning of my life
~
Walking
i walk while the sparrow calls
from the trees high above
leaves wave in tenuous flight,
quiet stream flows here,
careful certainty,
crystal rippling joy
stones turn in the current
gently shaped, smooth, round
i lean against an oak tree,
and watch shadows cast by the sun
eyes closed, I dream while
the stream gurgles and giggles beside me
with careful certainty
breeze whispers through the leaves
in this moment, the wind lifts me
and carries me like the wings of the sparrow
i come to rest gently on the water
i feel the currents move me
i find myself tumbling with
the stones at the bottom
rolling water’s laughter fills me,
awake, i see the sparrow, head tilted
watching me, then she is gone
i stand to walk again
along the sun-laced path
~
This Day
this day, like any other slips by me
like a breeze through a screen door
a whisper roars in my ears
like a thunder of wings
i find myself standing in a gale
the windows rattle and I laugh
unmoved
whisper or roar
when the wind lays down to rest
the waters grow quiet and return to glass
to reflect the moon there
dancing a slow tango with the stars
moving through the sky until daybreak
for now, quietly laughing
i do not know the light of tomorrow
yet here, the sun still shines…
~
soft petal crimson
touched by dewdrops
kissed by morning sun
in silence born
unfolding with wings
butterflies and spring breezes
fragile breathless beauty
~
great blue heron
stands waiting for his meal
sudden splash
wind rushes off the water
he eats
~
one drop of rain fills the river
one grain of sand builds a pearl
one empty cup overflows
listen to the thunder
of a
butterfly’s wing
~
la tyson (2001)
lei fraser 