Canticle
for S.F.

envy your man
able to follow the river wherever it runs,
wherever it flows

able to follow the wind wherever it goes,
wherever it blows

what Thomas Merton says of the Lamb
when that white flame of the Holy Spirit
is lit inside you, which does not smoke

that instead of some red, smoky flame
like a house on fire, needing urgently
to be extinguished, to be put out

along with white flame which does not smoke
a canticle is placed in the heart

with which, says Merton, you are able
to follow the Lamb, wherever he goes

often times I wish I were able
to follow a woman or have one follow me

able to go with romantic love
wherever I went or wherever it went
however it or I bent

did it once or tried to
what should have been flexible
what should have bent

instead, in the end, in an instant
was broken

I’ve been trying to put myself
back together ever since


© Obediah Michael Smith, 2009
3:05 p.m. 05.07.09