Looking Into the Heart of God - Lucy Davenport

[Larry Robinson]

Looking Into the Heart of God
 
There’s this girl over here, she’s heading down to skid row
She fell down on her rent and now she’s on her knees —
her beau says he’ll keep her safe in his car — for now
but only if....
She’s looking for work — “Anything will do — I want to pay
back the loan — I’ll make it good. I just want to do my
laundry so I can look for a job. Can you help me?”
I meet her at the laundromat, give her a leather coat with
$40 in the pocket and a note — “Call me if you’re not safe.”
 
A man calls me on the phone — he wants a bonsai —
“It needs to be either an azalea or a crabapple,” he says.
“I have both,” I say — “How big? How much? Will you ship?
“I need it for Christmas — to give to my daughter — She’s 
Thirteen. I was thirteen when I started with bonsai.
Do you understand?” “The trees choose us,” I say.
“I understand.” I understand you are dying. 
I understand it’s her dowry. I understand you love her.
 
These are my days now. I watch them unfold like
petals on a flower. In the morning I pray —
“How can I help You today?” Then I watch what comes
across my path — I’m here to notice things — people
mostly — and pay attention. I notice with the eyes of God.
She’s Russian — the perfectly modulated speech does not hide
the vestiges of learning to speak in her native tongue.
He’s Oklahoman — or Texan — politeness rolls off the tongue
like music. How did he start in bonsai? I forget to ask —
entranced by the vision of a young boy on a quest...
The tree fits perfectly in the shipping container. The
weather will be mild for two days — it must 
travel on land because trees can’t fly — there’s not enough air
for their wings to float....

My days are pierced by the sound of quiet wind breathing
through the trees. The birds alight on their tiny boughs.
They are happy to be here. The trees are singing.
 
	- Lucy Davenport
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.sonic.net/pipermail/poetrylovers/attachments/20210218/321560ef/attachment.htm>