psalm

my heart is a drab cloth full of rocks
sinking down to the bottom of the ocean floor,
unable to dump its weight over the side
and rise to the surface of the ocean
where the velellas drift communally
in the breath of the spirit

my heart is a dry and isolated leaf
tumbling about on the asphalt in the autumn wind,
wondering why other leaves remain on the tree in the lawn,
wishing that i could join them there,
that i might join them in making a pleasant noise
for the beloved of God

but you are the outstretched hand
that slips through the water and looses my bonds,
releasing the stones that weigh me down,
drawing me up through the water to the surface
where i gasp for air and blink at the light
reflected on the sparkling surface of the sea

you are the God who arrests the leaf and turns back Time,
creating a vibrant, living, pulsing leaf from the dust,
connecting me to the life-source
of the twig, the branch, the tree, the roots, the earth,
where i whisper words that remind
the beloved of God