Preserve These Words

These words,

Combined

Reformed

Found forgotten

Rewarmed

Stagnant sentences

Dormant stanzas

Various torn discourses

Draining downwards

Like forlorn sediment

Left to rest

Rolling under the river bed

The raging representative

of forward pressing

time and culture

And surely You,

Oh Holy Breath

have preserved

these words

Roaring water

coursing vehement chariot

Churning over unobserved

Soft nuances

and charming inflections

Oh yes,

fast paced

centuries of progress

And yet,

the echo

the refrain

Tapping steady

Under a small stream’s babbling

Heard in the lapping of an eddy

A fallen leaf slaps me

And Wind runs laughing

And surely You,

Oh Holy Breath

have preserved

these words

This deep covered

This dirt smothered

This earth churned under

This learning to quiet my soul

So my spirit may perceive

May receive

This long unspoken

Sweet speech

that the world

Forcefully Forgot

And surely You,

Oh Holy Breath

have preserved

these words

A soft

unbreakable grip

Sheltering cleft

Constant current

Preserving & Refining

Drawing out the dross

Reworking

Breaking Elements

Pressing & Polishing

Shaping the Discard

Buffing that Shine

Held Waiting

(Breath In…Breath Out)

By Joel Pleasant