Looking for Whales from the Amate.
At twilight, the primaveras sing a song they only sound at that time. It is a whale song, sonorous, one note suspended, traveling with palpable vibration. I couldn’t tell what kind of animal it was, a bird or a bug, the first time I heard it; with eyes closed, it was easy to imagine whales floating over the Piedra Rahada.
As wind through the corn in September sound like waves, and the rustling of amate leaves, with just the right breeze, in June, is indistinguishable from rain on a sunny afternoon; the primavera’s song reminds me– that everything is one. This is how I came to write the poem I recite this week. The robins gave it to me.
Cahoots
I am in cahoots with the wind
Winnowing
Imagine the Sailor!
I scarcely can I am afraid
Of depths
Once I complained
To a friend about mountains
“They’re always in the way
Of the horizon”
“Yes, but what of the view
From the top”
She whispered
Embarrassed, I promise
Never to be so
Blindsighted again
To this same friend
I said, “I want to
Throw myself into the wind”
And did
For a half a life and back
This is what I learned there
The wind is with us
Everywhere
Inner zephyr
BloodJetstream
Maelstrom and middling
The door of breath swings
A screen in spring
Unhinge
And unabated
I just can’t help but say,
How can anyone not see?
That the wind
Are waves
And the waves
Are leaves
And the leaves
Are rain
And the rain
A breeze
The breeze
Is a whistle
The whistle
A bird
The bird
is a song
The song
A whale
The whale
An eddy
The eddy
A wave
The wave…
What gifts has nature given you?
VSVEVG (very simple very easy very good) 
Oh my! This takes my breath away. Everything about it – the photo of you, the intro to the poem, the poem itself. Stunningly gorgeous, all. To me each component and the whole comprise the Best of the Best – as I said: Oh my. For 50+ years I have written and read poetry (I’m not ashamed to admit I cut my poetry chops on Rod McKuen) and now, only now, even after listening to every one you’ve recited, am I inclined to memorize one myself, and it is this one, “Cahoots”. Such cadence, the melody of it sweeps me along, rising and falling as the passion it invokes swells in my being.
Yes. This is the one to memorize and recite whenever I’m feeling beautiful, whenever I want to share beauty, whenever I want to pour beauty into someone or simply into the air around me.
It is also one to recite when I am feeling blue, when I need to wrap myself in luxury and have the pureness of beauty wash over me.
Bless you and thank you for this gift.
Well, you know, I too, was a fan of Mr. McKuens 🙂
I am honored and very grateful to be able to offer something to you Barbara. Your comment is so lovely it made me well up. I hardly know what to say.
Just out of curiosity, did you follow the link to the video of my recitation? I am wondering if I am making the links apparent enough. As, always embrazos Amiga.