Chatting on Facebook recently with my dear friend Felise, whom I'd met through Buddhism in what feels like another life, and with whom I'd lost touch until about five years ago, I asked if she remembered the poem I wrote for her when I was but a wee tyke of 21.
Back then, she was a singer-songwriter whose music often dealt with heartbreak and longing. Then she wrote a lovely piece called "Creative Life" inspired by the growth she's achieved through her practice -- which in turn inspired me to write the poem for her.
I came across it recently and polished it up a bit. When I mentioned it to her, she asked me to post it.
And here it is!
Black Wings
(for Felise)
Shall I compare thee to a nightingale:
A beauty draped in black, whose music streams,
Surges, sweeps listeners in its tide. We sail
Upwards on your melodies, buoyed in dreams.
Your passion forges new reality!
On stage, a rebel-black Madonna, you
Embrace, intrigue, reveal the quality
Of your pain and patience, now transformed through
Your craft, your song, your life ... your six tight strings --
Which yet you fret as if held by some man --
But know: through those vibrant cords your heart sings
Freedom, weaves tapestries of breadth and span
And soaring love. For when you sing your strife
Your seared heart celebrates Creative Life.
