February 1, 2002 Candlemas
Poems
by Mary Billy
Sophia
(Goddess of Wisdom, Queen of Heaven)
I saw her there, the old woman
In the shadows of the grotto
She was stooped and wore an old brown coat
She didn't look up
Until I asked her the question with my mind's eye
She said: You already know
Gert told you years ago
All the answers are within you
Then I asked, "But what is important?"
She opened her palm, showed me, and said:
"Small feathers, seeds,
The touch of a kind hand
And stillness."
Praying Hands
The clasped hands of the praying beggar
Plead for relief, press into her brow
for strength, for warmth
for agony against herself
The clenched eyes of the praying beggar
Talk to gods and goddesses unknown
Unseen
Blindly look upward for relief
Bargain for strength to face a future
warmer than her past
Silently the internal chant goes on and on
Please, oh please, give me, give me
Relief
A change from all this never ceasing agony
lack, injustice,
poverty, pain, loneliness
Abandonment
What have I done? What can I do?
Oh help me, help me, Please
I beg on bended knee, hands clasped to brow
Eyes clenched, face skyward,
Pleading for mercy into the silent never heeding ether
And nothing is the answer; nothing is ever the answer
The answer is to tire of prayer, get off one's knees
Unclench one's eyes, and speak out loud of the injustices
Poor Me it all over the place
Pour me out all over the place, until someone listens,
Until some shares
Until someone shuts her up if for no other reason
than to stop the never-ending whining - and watch
The dripping tap,
Finally
Split
The Rock
(The above are from Over the Falls ISBN # 0-9699731-1-X, $15.00)