Just to Be

The trees are the instrument for the winds

And the sky is the canvas for the clouds.

My spirit seeks a melody among flowers and earth

And a space where visiting dreams are allowed.

The sun guards the day from the shadows that play

On the edges of what might be tomorrow.

The stars beckon homeward on lonesome night.

The scent on the roses is bittersweet, sorrow.

Now comes the moon to whisper his story -

Shines down from above from the night into day -

Obscured in the daytime, but lingering here

Like a ghost in the corner, I’ve invited to stay.

“Run home” say the ravens who fly far above,

“Go back to your castle of sticks and cement”

“I am home” I reply and I laugh at them winging 

Their way through the clouds in a rapid descent.

The air is crisp but sunshine warms my face

As I watch the sky change its colors through the day.

The breezes offer me a tangible embrace

And I dig my bare feet into rich, dark clay.

The earth greets my toes like the roots of a tree.

The universe smiles as the days melt into years.

Perhaps I should stand here and learn to just be -

Breathe in the beauty and exhale all my fears.

- Miriam Shanks 5-19-2021