Poem by Dan Stone
I may as well confess
since it’s likely obvious
that yes, there are
three of me.
And if I’m honest,
untold other faces.
At some point I guess
I just stopped counting.
Why feed that headache
when it’s all amounting
to the same eyes
seeing different things
the same voice singing
versions of the same songs
with the same words.
Not that all me’s
always agree.
It’s not an either/or.
We differ in our
ways and means.
I reach in and coo out,
invite the birds to light
even as I fold my arms
and huff and puff
or just stand there
looking on, wondering
what the fuss
is all about.
We bicker and we snipe
just like the sisters
in one skin
we know we are,
alike, apart, complete,
at least when we
can see, can tell
we say the same amen
to finish any prayer:
“Yes it is so,”
and though we do
if differently we all care,
all know, all feel we share
the roots. the earth
that lets our branches grow,
that gave us at birth
the same warm blood
that bleeds into our art,
the same true beating
burning, limitless
and undivided heart.
I may as well confess
since it’s likely obvious
that yes, there are
three of me.
And if I’m honest,
untold other faces.
At some point I guess
I just stopped counting.
Why feed that headache
when it’s all amounting
to the same eyes
seeing different things
the same voice singing
versions of the same songs
with the same words.
Not that all me’s
always agree.
It’s not an either/or.
We differ in our
ways and means.
I reach in and coo out,
invite the birds to light
even as I fold my arms
and huff and puff
or just stand there
looking on, wondering
what the fuss
is all about.
We bicker and we snipe
just like the sisters
in one skin
we know we are,
alike, apart, complete,
at least when we
can see, can tell
we say the same amen
to finish any prayer:
“Yes it is so,”
and though we do
if differently we all care,
all know, all feel we share
the roots. the earth
that lets our branches grow,
that gave us at birth
the same warm blood
that bleeds into our art,
the same true beating
burning, limitless
and undivided heart.