Kiss Me Hello

Send me up, to the clouds;
bring me there, hold me there,
tell me not to go. Keep me,
if you love me—kiss me hello.

If, upon her wandering,

she befell upon such a sight
as the burning of pale blue stars
over the soft skin of twilight;

And fancied sleep, at meadow’s edge,

of proud and myriad flower,
where quetzals dazzled forth
in displays of regal, enchanted power—

Would she . . .

If, within her dreaming,

she inhaled magic and exhaled strife,
where a celestial voice whispered hope
of a loving, happy life;

And saw many wonders

cascading softly in ballet,
while stardust and moonbeams
entered her soul to play—

Would she . . .

And if, upon her awakening,

standing near her grassy cheek,
was a fawn drinking quietly
from a silver-pebbled creek;

With sonnets coming ashore

as fish bubbled the words,
while a new life walked towards her
from beneath a rainbow of birds—

Would she still want to die?

Would she weep and send away

those painful days into the earth,
and walk down new paths of sunlight
holding the jewel of her worth?

Send me back, to the world;

bring me there, hold me there,
keep me from the sky. Leave me,
if you love me—and kiss me goodbye!


(From the book Kairos)