Poem of the Month: March 2009

I believe there is no justice,
but that cottongrass and bunchberry
grow on the mountain.

I believe that a scorpion's sting
will kill a man,
but that his wife will remarry.

I believe that, the older we get,
the weaker the body,
but the stronger the soul.

I believe that if you roll over at night
in an empty bed,
the air consoles you.

I believe that no one is spared
the darkness,
and no one gets all of it.

I believe we all drown eventually
in a sea of our making,
but that the land belongs to someone else.

I believe in destiny.
And I believe in free will.

I believe that, when all
the clocks break,
time goes on without them.

And I believe that whatever
pulls us under,
will do so gently.

so as not to disturb anyone,
so as not to interfere
with what we believe in.

--Michael Blumenthal

Journal prompts:

• What do you believe in? Make a list, or a list poem.
  
  
• Which of the stanzas/beliefs most "grabs" you? Using that belief as a springboard, write about what is evoked.
  
  
• Write about a time when your belief in something was shattered, challenged or significantly changed.