Headstall's Reflections - 92. Chapter 92 Communion

Communion

The moon calls to me this eve,

a familiar beckoning when I am bereft

She exerts her pull gently

to draw me forth

from my stagnant warmth,

and into a bracing fall chill

Her light, three-quarters full,

bathes a man three-quarters empty,

but the sight of her stirs me to reach for the still,

outer first, embracing it

so the inner stillness can emerge

into the silence of this night

There is much to be found in it, this outer,

if we listen unfettered by angst

The faint rustle in the grass,

the flutter of wings up in the cedars

… the far-off cry of a single lupine…

the soft padding of curious cat feet,

and the short, quavering breaths

of a man long lonely and on the precipice of tears

I know there is a lesson in this communion,

one repeated often in recent times,

for this warring solitude of mine,

whether it be in light of silver, or of gold

It is a nudge to remember how far I’ve come,

and that we are never really alone

if we choose not to be, be damned the expectations,

for this world shares all the life it nurtures

to anyone who reaches out with bared heart,

and all we have to do is listen to find its comfort

In the stillness I allow myself a gulping renewal,

as I strive to find the beauty in my pain,

because heartache can be exquisite

when tempered and consoled by memories

My breaths become slower, longer, stronger—

as time ticks by and the glow works its magic

My tears end—for now—the wetness cold on skin

as I look upward in fresh calmness and thanks,

for I am filled to the brim and ready to re-enter the warmth

My slithery dog greets me like I’ve been gone for days

and I am humbled by my blessings

past and present

Haiku #1

Pumpkins on my deck

announces I am still here

celebrating life

Haiku #2

Running on empty

is a warning to hold on

till the fog does fade

Haiku #3

I'll miss the braying

of the watchdog donkey new door

Once the bovines leave

Haiku #4

While time meanders

I fill my days best I can,

meandering too

Haiku #5

The lilies lie flat

slumbering through shorter days

till their blanket comes

Haiku #6

This October heat

does color outside the lines

adding to my fears

Haiku #7

I am enamored

each time I caress cornsilk

soft like angel hair

Haiku #8

Melancholy haunts

like white sheets at Halloween,

except that it's real

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