Poultice
In the times before these times,
when the old ones who still remembered
saw the signs
that the sickness had turned inwards,
towards the blood, towards the bone,
when they saw the rising heat, the grey pallor,
the yellowing eye, the listless limb,
they would go to the forest with faith,
and prayerfully pick the cool moss,
the healing herb, collect the soft river earth.
Then, these clever cunning men,
these wise sharp women,
would mix the poultice paste
by moon’s silvering,
by dawn’s turning,
by saint’s praying,
and finding the point of pain
they would anoint the body
and bandage tight with blessing,
igniting with intention
the banked medicinal fire,
it’s noble warmth now
leaching out the ague
bringing, at last, the wounded one
to the healing crisis that,
perhaps at first, looks like
death’s drawing near,
before the sacred singing moment
where fever breaks and skin erupts
and pus and poison flow, and drain,
and light returns to eyes at last
as breath stills, calms, deepens
and balance comes again,
as first dawn light touches the
roots of the trees
and brings the golden edge
of Love’s arising
to new life.
Now,
In this time of times
perhaps we have such need again,
for a poultice placed
gently and with kindness upon
the rounded body of the earth
where too long our self-sickness has
burrowed deep within and brought
the breaking and the burning
of fever dream, of pain and sorrow
become now a crown of pain,
a pulsing pandemic bound tight
about our wounded world
filled with the,
the pus and poison that would
set our soul cells against each other
tearing the woven thread of being apart.
So then, hear the ancient remedy,
ever old and ever new,
and with faith go out to gather the gifts
of kindness, gentleness, peace
then bind them
with the binding cloth of love
and anoint the broken body
of the world with blessing
that after crisis cools this earth,
the hearts, the souls of all that live
may wake from this fever dream
and see, as only those who
touch death see,
the grace of dawn
the gift of life
the oneness of
our being.
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