Truth

TRUTH

A poem by Luna Jaffe

———

It is an act of rebellion

to sit in the forest covered with moss

dripping with stardust &

molecules of humanity.

Dare I speak?

Dare I ask you to want

to see

my scars?

Dare I take up space

with stories woven of fine brown hair and

luminous love layered with guilt & longing?

Dare I?

I refuse to hold grief inside

this sacred vessel of living.

Grief is the elixir.

It must flow through, unobstructed,

or it becomes a poison when held too long

in belly or heart.

The truth is

on days dark and wet

I don’t want to walk this path,

this pilgrimage I did not choose.

The truth is

I feel alone, barren, without compass,

skinless.

The truth is

I do not need you to carry me

over the waters of sorrow

What I need is a hand,

outstretched.

A quiet beckoning.

I don’t know how to live

in the medial spaces

Between whom I’ve been and

what is yet to come,

Between walking slowly over the

rocky shores of earth

and traveling light years to find you.

I shape words of truth in the

dryness of my mouth and

pray:

Make me a rebel, a force of nature

Make me stand in the heartbeat of my life

unafraid of the doubters & critics

Show me the way and the reason

And I will be your soulcatcher, your messenger

your faithful scribe.

(Written at Skamania Lodge, WA Jan 3, 2021)