There Will Be No Fossils Here

Bless me Father, for I have sinned.

You arrive, I think, as evidence
of moral transgression,
egregious error,
the familiar missteps I take —
detours, cause of my misfortunes.

But with space and time —
this gift of a quiet mind —
I see you as just the opposite,
reflection of what I do right……….each time:

dive in, head first,
hold my breath, come what may,
suffer slings and arrows later
(suffer poetry perhaps).

It has been 30 years since my last confession.

Sarton says “one either keeps growing and changing or one begins to fossilize, take your choice.”

I would choose you over and over again,
for I will be no rock that sinks to the bottom,
forgetting to feel that deliberate, sure pull of tide.

Amen.

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Words ©2014, Jen Payne
IMAGE: Woman Diving into Water, Paul Cezanne, 1870.
Quote: May Sarton, Mrs. Stevens Hears the Mermaids Singing