Some Light To Shine
for Robbin Whachell & Erin Green

i
take a camera, take pictures
instead I take a pen, bring back poems
when I travel, however far, for however long

ii
about to fall asleep
breathing like see-saw
so well measured,
that well balanced
outlet, intake of air
not about to take off,
about to fall asleep
to lift off to dreamland,
life as light as air

iii
I’m suppose to express myself
with a gun or a knife as well
how come I’ve found a pen instead
to fire, to stab with, to light fires with
scratching poems in the dark when the lights go out

iv
is this not part of planet earth
which God, in Genesis, made in seven days
has Kemp Road broken off
or dropped off of what’s holy
like a crumb upon the floor for roaches

v
poems I’ve had to dismantle
the two-backed beast to write
toy of love to dismantle and reassemble
poems to assemble in between

vi
stars like snowflakes
when it’s dark enough to see them
you among them, instead of trembling,
in awe

vii
interesting how the body is definitely
wired together
who wired it up,
I wonder


© Obediah Michael Smith, 2007
written between 2:31 a.m. and 5:20 a.m.
17/07/07, during a power outage.