Faith -- April 1st - National Poetry Month

To begin my daily poetry postings for national poetry month, here is the first poem I ever had published, which I wrote while a student at Goddard College

Faith

I have decided to believe in mountains

standing guard under thunderclouds,

rivers, the way the rocks love

to be caressed

by the ever-present waters.

I believe in lemon thyme, rosemary,

the way basil leaves linger

with tenderness on my tongue.

I choose to believe in blueberry

sweetness, the way a strawberry splashes

juice on your lips, I believe in blackberry

tartness, ripe raspberry stains on my daughter’s fingers.

I have decided to believe in the skunk

that befouls the leaf pile in my backyard,

pungent wild onions,

deer droppings near my backdoor.

Of course these holy, blessed

creations do not depend upon my faith,

but I still choose to believe

that when my son and I

get our hands covered

in the golden dirt of our small garden,

I am planting something inside

his wholesome heart

that will endure all future hunters,

and will give rise to unrepentant ocean currents,

ancient stoic oak trees, and fields of wild grass

untouched by human hands.