the return

"the return"

i have come by air
to this land of rock, sun, and sea
i was born here
two thousand twenty eight years ago
                this is the song of me
                here i go
there on that cliff my earth mother stood
and she unveiled for me the world
she turned west and the sun bowed
she turned east and the sun rose
she looked north and the sky was blue
she looked south and the sky was red
she threw me from that cliff  turned
                and my earth mother fled
echoing the words she whispered
i sank to the deep still in the lack of light
nothing is wrong my dear and all is right
and the sea about was cold though amber hued
and the sea above was strong but not rude
yea my sea mother took me in and sang in me too
i coasted on her current and learned the sea song
i fed on weed   weaned on sea mead
rolled on waves and bathed on surf
                till i was tall
                lithe and strong
then i broke on every reef that contoured the earth
and followed my sea friends in cancer and capricorn
helped them wreak havoc round america's horn
                i sang williwaw
                williwaw williwaw
a song to bind all sailors with care and awe
i tickled the unzipped zippered masses
at the deepest dive at the darkest core
got drunk off sulfuric gases
and learned what seeing without sight was for
where earth warmth glows without light
where the weight of all is great
and where nothing feels wrong but all feels right
                and earth stillness reigns
                till peace is made plain
then i fed by the nipples of leviathan dens
and twisted the whirlpool ripples to a fine lens
and became a force of fury that danced
atop the crowning plumed whale spray
where into the sky i lanced
now mist and mystic
and there with mistress air
became the tempest's friend
and she my wind mother sang in me too
i was the rosin of her bowstrings
and our sonic tune bent all things
                mainsails topmasts
                pelted mariners aghast
precious cargo and stowaways  i cast them all below
then worked the great maws great bellows
up onto the rocks unyielding fjordal mass
                whirlpool monsoon
                typhoon  hurricane
a dance of sea and air i became till
my mothers' giving hands gave me to the sun goddess
and she my sun mother sang in me too
with light and fire so that i learned
                the beauty of all
                and the how of how
to make fog crawl and thunder call
to ache with lightning and strike once and once more
to bake the earth core and boil her sister sea
to quake the spoils of each by each
to rake the toils outreaching reach
to slake in the spirit of elemental fury
i saw all and forgot nothing
i heard nothing become something
i felt something touch everything
i know that everything is all
and to forget this would be my fall
i was caught and captured by
learned and mastered the cry
                mesmerized  memorized
                i was immortalized
by the gentle vigor of my mothers' lullabies
by the sea, wind, sun and earth song
                all is right 
                nothing wrong
and born from this past
to the cliff i was cast
i return
                well now
who am i
perhaps  just an oversexed demon boy
                with a few things to say
                to many many people---oye oye oye---
get your harp out in your hand
and strum it right to the rigid chord
now turn to your friend with the bare hand
and make her beat on your drum skins
till the skins bleed drum noise
lose sight of things and see
what sight your song brings
hear the thousand tribal voices
emanating and
sing the song they sing
feel them respond to your change
                of pitch and tempo
                change with them too
show them you are worthy
of the song they sing
and build on that song of verse
a chorus of light and sound
break thunder with your drum
charm lightning with your harp
in this song there is no wrong
this is the song of your life
                repeat crescendo
                temper your tempo
                repeat decrescendo
                quaver high and low
now gnarl the staff at hand
and make the crisis stand
                repeat
                and separate
your hands are mindfuls aflame
your tone is a miniature cave
your expression is soft and grave
you have become both noble and knave
turn to your friend again
is the song at end, she'll say
no---you return---be brave
                let silence fall
                listen for the call
and then oh then then then
my beautiful friend then
                refrain
refrain the song of me
find the song of you
and when your mothers sing and teach
return to this cliff or to that beach
and we'll sing your song too---
return to me as i return to you.