a story of things – a poem by Luther Allen

a story of things

                … and light
    the soil and the Moth
    my chin on the fencepost

    by the author, 1972


we stitch magic
and say that

	    this thread, these threads,
	    warp, weft, color, texture

are the salamanders of truth
and think we are done.

	    except
		    the salamander
		    is just going to be salamander.
 
if we ignore this and keep
sewing, cross-stitching, dabbling

	    making truths of ideas that make us
	    believe without cause, cage us
 
	    inside our brittle beliefs, embroider
	    the blackness, then we become

	    the benumbed zoo animal
	
	    the salamanders
	    visit on weekends.

***

the air speaks us
and says what is this stone?

	    what is this moth?
	    as if saying what is this mind?

until we know 
it is pointless to go further.

	    except
		    the air
		    just wants to sing.

if we ignore this stone
we go deaf to all stones.

	    hold the stone. listen. take it
	    deep inside because
 
	    stars are too hot,
	    too huge, to hold —

	    too much like an answer
	
	    and too faraway 
	    to hear them sing.

***

the song of stones
dropping through a mind.

a salamander
holding water in place.

a moth
holding air in place.

light. breath.
threads.

ponder. witness.
sing.

love. kindness.
a sort of sweetness.

those truths.
a practice.
 

Luther Allen writes poems from his mostly unmanaged 10 acres of mountainside near Bellingham, Washington. His academic work centered primarily on biology and geography; he is a retired building designer. He has published two volumes of poetry: The View from Lummi Island and A Spiritual Thread (see https://othermindpress.wordpress.com). His work is included in numerous journals and anthologies. He views writing as his spiritual practice.