Alena
Deewater

Ann
Helsel

Charles
Furey

Donald
Shephard

Doug
Fortier

Gloria
Jorgensen

Henri
Bensussen

Holly
Tannen

Jan
Edwards

Jewels
Marcus

Maureen
Eppstein

Motherbear
Scott

Nancy
McLelland

Nona
Smith

Norma
Watkins

Sharon
Gilligan

Susan
Fisher

Ty
Moore

M a r y l y n  M o t h e r b e a r  Scott  &  L i s a  O r s e l l i

While We Slept

Once upon a time, there was a river, clear and lilting. A song we loved to sing.

Flow gently sweet afton among thy green braes. 
Flow gently I'll sing thee a song in thy praise.
My Mary's asleep by the murmuring stream. 
Flow gently sweet afton, disturb not her dream. 

Song by Robert Burn

Circling Black

So many slept and did not awaken. 
Their dreams were sweet.
Boating on a lazy river. 
Parasols. Picnics. Lovers. 

Bird wings flutter, bits of berry, 
insects fall into stream, food for fish, 
a stream bed, rush to the edge, 
make river banks, sink into earth. 
Roots. Stem. Leaves. Flower. Fruit. 
A wild garden.

Life goes on. It's hard to stop it.
We grab ahold of ourselves,
grab hold of Beloved Ones,
create the sacred knot-work. 

While we sleep

The current keeps on moving.
Living dreams, unable to sink
into living earth, into water,
ride atop what is impenetrable,
a Mystery. Wings flutter, 
a tempting morsel falls to earth. 
Not sure it's ours to take, we wonder.

That's the hook. Wake up. 
Take a piece. It's yours.

So many slept, did not awaken.
Their dreams were ambitious.
Motorized swift boats.
Gasoline. Oil. Armies.

And then, a shiny, black slick.
Waters changed, turned murky. 
Fish changed. We changed. 
The body of the earth. Changed. 
Petals, Seeds, Fungus, Weeds. 
Unable to submerge. 

Once upon a time, we were 
poets and artists and statesmen. 
Wake up, we cried. Still, 
our sleep deepened. We denied. 

While we sleep

Denial so loud it deafens. 
Testimonial fervor. Deepens 
to illness. Deepens to  dying. 
Deepens to death. Debris rides
on the black surface, feeds
on air, on sludge, on other, 
gives birth to what is new. 

Curious, you face your fear,
find what is true inside of you.