LISTENING FOR FOOTSTEPS LEAVING NO PRINTS

 

FOOTSTEPS OF LIGHT

 

 

Now let us really be still

 

Now let us not so much breathe

 

As to mist the air down in trill

 

As to dream the waft in each heave.

 

 

Now we face the east we once did fear

 

Now we look and smell and unstamp and unsee

 

For we must go as one into rock and sand unclear

 

For we must go as one in foresight of a tree.

 

 

Now we move as one into further craggy slopes

 

Now we creep, then stop, then creep, then hush

 

As we stop, we shrink, we unbar storied popes

 

As we yet unlearned of what may fall, what may crush.

 

 

Now we as one turn into ourselves, look into ourselves

 

Seeking to find a pattern of steps without any prints

 

Now we dream foretold from scrolls on shelves

 

Seeking the Way with no prints but angel glints

 

 

POSTSCRIPT:

 

Now we look, we listen, we small, we hush:  we seekers all from west to east we are pushed by Baby eyes and kingly dreams to go out by another way not marked by any prints except star gleams and angle breaths.

 

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BEFORE WE BUMP INTO CAMELS AT THE PALACE

 

BEFORE CRITTERS MEET KINGS AT PALACE

 

Now we must stop to catch our wits

Now we sit to clutch feet

Now we smell camel snorts in bits

Now we link ears and noses and single eye entreat

Now we push each new starry spark in fits

Now we stop, we wonder, we fear East to meet.

 

But what is this gilded domed scaffed place

where we smell in hearing over one eye in maze

but for stalking guarded gate we could pace

where some whisper whistle seeks to gaze

but little while on New King, O Old King crace

where snaking fingers point to sword amaze.

 

Best we should go on another way still east

Lest guarded snaky fingers creep on nosey

Best we should sway into sun away from stable least

Lest ears flop back and eye roll up seem cozy

Best bumbly on littley nooning middley with beast

Lest west crown trick east crowns in dozey.

 

No, no, no go back

yes,yes yes go on

No,no,no show alley back

yes,yes,yes,crawl on

No,no,no give stable track

yes,yes,yes press on

 

Leave stable in west

Tell in starlight into east

Leave young child in west

Tell in soulquest into east

Leave child to carpenter best

Tell no herod no more rest

 

So star teaches friends of danger

So wise east men teaches at manger

So carpenter teaches Egypt to mother

So critters as one teaches each other

So leaning folk keening folk face the road

So telling, knelling, felling folk bear the load.

 

FALLING EASTWARD TOGETHER UP OFF ROCKS

 

ROCK-DROPS FALLING ON OUR HEADS

Old hens and converted weasels, dear;

Blue,blue dragonflies decorating spotted goat, mere;

False striped ones caught in barbed wire, dire;

Mousey hearing aided repenting liar;

Swawking crow of rooster waking dovey bier;

Crowing nightingale singing black winged trier!

Such a great crowd of witnesses leaving their mirrors

Behind in the alleys, dropped beside unknown gates;

Blind and crosseyed and deaf and bushy nosed in shivers

Behind a town left in the west because star shone on pates;

Joining we expected role players sweating fear in rivers

Beckoned by skipped ropes left by shepherds crooked of traits!

We all winding and unwinding and tripping and skipping

Along behind a now found Littly Lamb, patted by Babe tripping

Of heart in love-light of young mothery eyes ripping

The very heart from innkeeper’s rules, no wine for nipping

The cold from the morn of  First Day of New Life tipping

Off our prophecy from high perch over biggy froggy head clipping!

Oh, we all no more looking at ourselves, marching ourselves eastward

Climbing ourselves eastward cracking eggs laid forgotten

Oh, we all snagging each to each in ro-bed,hi-ded long boastward

Snaking our  trails round rock and thorn under Star begotten

Fore basement of world ever laid genesing record coastward

Making our tracks in midst of robbers cutthroats to trotten.

We all friends tied in cords woven from missing parts, we unfolk

We critters in bond to render the go tell mission inyoke

We all friends leaving bystanding alleyfolk for fields to poke

We leftoffparts from smooth paths to fall on rock’s stroke

We critters and unwound twitters seared by smoke

We campers in stable left weaving up in star-toke.

We friends stumbling and clinging and crying and singing

On to the East gone from the West now parched and empty

We friends now thrummed by stamp,by rumored hoofs ringing

Out from the East gone from thrones long done with skimmed tea

We friends clutching tales for hope in stumbling stinging

We friends of nettles and bones and cold caves in the lea.

“How bear we this load of lost but not  lost?

“How dare we this go telling, go seeking, go meeting

“How High Kings bearing bounty of whole nations’ cost

“How dare we, care we, swear we this oath of treating

“How lands we cannot see but must only BE, only tossed

                                                                                                                                                                   “How peaceward, how lightward, how blessward good news feeting?”

 

CRITTERS FROM THE WEST, CRITTERS FROM THE EAST

 

EAST AND WEST MEET ON SIX LEGS

 

 

Littly Lamb bumping hooves over stones

Catching cracked toe on tumbled old bone

Jostled shell unexpected old Turtle in tones

Reminding  hungry Littly and Turtley of scone

The Crookeye Shepherd got from the milkmaid in pones.

So weak now the friends edge to another gate

Soon cathing up with FlopEars bending back to a tune

So low and sweet from unknown strait

Flipping critter hearts with cooing croon

So long had Dovey perched on balding pate

Soon shining in early light holding saucy spoon

Now strong from care from unknown keepers

Friends passed through the strange gate that was no more

Now solid stone blocking retreat so no more weepers

Friends could spare for facing morning sun galore

Now critters and folk saw only one trail for leapers

Friends in faith joined by memory of go-tell Babe for more

Oh, east wind, oh rising sun, oh blowing sands did meet

These friends so bound by call to go-tell,go swell

Oh world unknowing of groaning girl and groaning street

These friends had crept along in halting pell mell

Oh alleys and stones and corners and scattering meets

Thse friends so oddly matched yet perfect in Go, Tell!

Now most strange starsong from off blind hills

Swelled all around these friends drawing them on

Now most strange starsong told of humping clumping thrills

Swelled most windy chorus swept from croaking tone

Now most strange to friends o’er blown by Croaker skills

Swelled in knowing hum was knowing of Catty now winged clone.

“Oh, what means those croaks with humpy crowned sixlegged kings?”

Friends flopped and stamped and crooky eyed did inquire.

“Oh, what means following singing star, rushing chorus rings?”

“Friends, oh friends, how meet, how tell such beasty squire?”

Oh, how go, how tell, how love-swell so unknown things?”

                                   Friends stumbled on, friends pushed by Babe in bier.