I am
I am no one special.
I am the Buddha
the enlightened one
sitting
curved blelly
spine straight
folded
empty in
the fullest sense
knowing all
holding nothing
I am Jesus
saviour of the world
hanging here
sagged bones
bowed flesh
dying for anyone
nailed to wood
for lack of care
emptying my breath
in surrender
I am Durga
deliverer of the confused and discouraged
riding tigers
drinking in bloody indecision
gulping demon dry doubts
spitting them out
slaying buffalo and rapists
mother of all
purist rage suckling courage
nourishing fearlessness into herbs
I am Pele
spring of volcanic majesty and power
erupting seething fury
terrible violence
dancing molten darkness
pouring
ashen tenderness
mosssy gentlesness
into earth
growing serenity into ferns
I am Sophia
Wisdom of God
dancing before the dawn of time
seeing all
for what is is, could be
passion of life
loving and wooing
purple and play
into labour and creation
I am
no one special
I am
just another woman
like all the rest
I am
writing this
stone cold sober
I am no one special
Another woman
like all the rest
Look in my eyes
Watery green ferns
Yellow specked fear
Black recessed fire
Desolate domain of longing
Shimmering spheres of delight
Crease of laughter and agony
Meet me as you would another woman
The one who tends cash in the cafeteria
for dive dollars an hour smiling for no tip
Cream in your coffee?
Look in her eyes the next time you say,
Sure, thanks.
See me in her eyes
She and I, we are in each other.
She is Buddha, holding nothing.
Meet me as you would another woman
The one who begs coins from your pockets
for a fifth, a burrito, a little time.
She wants all your money, but she asks for change.
Look in her eyes the next time you say,
Sorry.
See me in her eyes
She and I, we are each other.
She is Jesus hanging there.
Look in my eyes
I am weeping for your fears.
See the water well and drop.
Do you hear me?
I am screaming Durga,
See me
See my eyes flashing, raging
Ride the tiger of your fears.
Decide, act, be.
Durga is in their eyes too.
Look in my eyes
See Pele's erupting fury
Levelling cruelty
with a single glancing blow.
Throwing embers that purify.
Pele, dancing in ashes
Pele look out from other eyes.
Watch for her fire and heat.
Look in my eyes
Sophia is laughing there
Glinting and sparkling light
Warming and dancing in clay
Look in our eyes
We are in each other
We do not have the same eyes --
We look out through different windows.
Look in through the windows.
Look in the eyes
Of the one you call
virgin, witch, lover, whore, mother
If you cannot see
Me in her
Her in me,
You cannot see
any of us.
And we are
just another woman
like all the rest.
Do not look in my eyes
If you want
To see
A reflection
of
you.
