Geography Of Our Hearts

Geography Of Our Hearts
© Surazeus
2024 06 19

Wrinkled like old rolled-up map of our world, 
my face savors harsh kiss of wind and rain 
to model geography of our hearts 
woven by roads where our ancestors walked, 
feet muddied by the endless miles of hope 
which leave us stranded in the strangest land. 

Whether we dwell in this house of our hearts 
just for one day, or for ten thousand years, 
we shall prepare food we find with our hands 
and share tales, tragic and comic, that show 
how people fail or succeed to make life, 
for the young bury the old in the yard. 

While I record long history of the world 
to preserve memories of my mind in tales 
depicting how every king always dies, 
you water plants in garden of our home 
till rivers overflow and flood my books 
so ghosts of heroes and villains are merged. 

Though bard of strange valley finds where we live 
far off the sign-marked roads of travelers, 
he codes our secret in weird fairy tale 
about weaver girl and carpenter boy 
who meet each full moon on the river bridge 
to share love letters about long-dead stars. 

Beneath the spreading chestnut tree of pride 
the brawny smith smites metal of the Earth 
with hammer of his heart to shape with flame 
sword of the warrior who defends the land, 
and plow of the farmer who seeds the land, 
so kings build empires with tools he designs. 

As shy Endymion, drowsing by the pool 
that waters fruit trees glowing in moonlight, 
I sense Diana, with long silver bow, 
gaze down at me with aching eyes of love, 
yet when I wake to hold her in my arms 
she hides in shadow of unspoken hope. 

If sly Hesperus, searching for her soul 
that gleams in sea cave ringing loud with waves, 
asserts ownership of her body-land, 
I block his cruel program of mind control 
to support principle of liberty 
for every conscious creature of our world. 

Gray-haired like Saturn on lush river shore, 
I claim no land except where I may rest 
this hour I pause on journey to the west 
with wife and children sheltered by my heart, 
who laugh with pleasure of our company 
for all roads of the world our feet have blazed.