My Poems Speak to the Living and the Dead<\/p>\n
By<\/p>\n
Jennifer Angelina Petro<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
My poems speak<\/p>\n
To the living<\/p>\n
And the dead.<\/p>\n
Spirits lingering nearby<\/p>\n
Hear my words<\/p>\n
And start dancing;<\/p>\n
Ghosts feel them blow thru<\/p>\n
Like calming winds<\/p>\n
Or billowing storms<\/p>\n
Depending on how tethered<\/p>\n
To place they are.<\/p>\n
Spirits send out resonances<\/p>\n
To meet these resonances<\/p>\n
Even if they\u2019re read in your head\u2014<\/p>\n
After all, skulls and skin<\/p>\n
Are no barrier to spirits<\/p>\n
Longing to be influenced and<\/p>\n
To influence.\u00a0 My poems<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Speak to streams of time,<\/p>\n
Carrying ships bearing autumn trees,<\/p>\n
My poems speak to the clouds<\/p>\n
Who carry them across the sea,<\/p>\n
My poems speak to roots and wings<\/p>\n
And burrow like cicada nymphs<\/p>\n
Only to rise up fully mature-winged-voice-throwers,<\/p>\n
My poems speak to the rivers,<\/p>\n
Polishing rocks and stones, and smoothing over<\/p>\n
Fallen trees, my poems<\/p>\n
Caress the legs of frogs and kiss the lips of deer,<\/p>\n
My poems speak to the souls<\/p>\n
Of infants and elders, my poems<\/p>\n
Speak to the living and the dead.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Take<\/p>\n
A moment,<\/p>\n
Hold it loosely, much like<\/p>\n
A hummingbird holds its hovering<\/p>\n
Over the trumpet flower,<\/p>\n
And speak these words,<\/p>\n
Speak your<\/em> words,<\/p>\n And set your whole being<\/p>\n And everything around you<\/p>\n Thrumming, like<\/p>\n A chord<\/p>\n Of joy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n