Soil and Light

In the back of my head there is soil and shade
A small iron gate I will not translate
I carry a can with a crooked spout
Pour slow on the roots that keep reaching up
Sap on my fingertips, sweet and sharp
It clings like a promise I cannot park
Some stems lean kind when you hold them near
Some look like calm till they nick your skin
Easy

If I water this, will it soften, or bite
If I cut it back, will it come out right
I do not chase peace like a perfect line
I make a little room for a little light
A little light

I prune one thought, it comes back as a vine
Wraps round my wrist like it owns my time
I loosen the knot, I let it breathe
Set it beside me, not underneath
A thorn in the palm is a quiet bell
It rings when I am not treating me well
I keep a small jar for the things I shed
Old petals, old phrases, old weather unsaid
Hold still
No rush

The room gets wide and the ceiling lifts
Piano drops stones in a slow pond drift
Guitar says yes with a half-smile tone
Then steps back quick, lets the hush be home
Flute at the edge like a pale thread drawn
There and gone before the doubt can talk
Come back
Stay soft

I am not trying to erase the sting
Just keep it from ruling everything
I turn the soil where the silence stays
Leave a clean path for my safer days
For my safer days

If I water this, will it soften, or bite
If I cut it back, will it come out right
I do not chase peace like a perfect line
I make a little room, and let it live
And let it live
A little light