You rise and set
and I’m sure I do not know
why you bother with me.

You hold East and West
distant ever--unfortunate lovers--
You set the waves to harbor
and each pebble on the beach
has an ancient name.
And here I am.
I will never be ancient
though I was formed with timeless magic
I will pass from life to death
with almost no notice at all
and I’m sure I do not understand
why you bother with me at all.
I have simple few moments to follow
out to the end
and in those moments, I rarely walk
tall and graceful and proud
I stumble awkwardly
a perpetual fawn trying to gain footing
I am ever skeptical of beauty and truth
always questioning the universe
as if all the answers would be revealed
to a child-brain
that wouldn’t comprehend it
You are gentle with me
and I count it harsh.
You are bold to impose your goodness on me
and I name it punishment.

The million tiny noises of the morning
are powered by your breath
you hear each chirping bug
each trilling bird
and this chorus is how I sense Your delight.
You are the rhythmic beat of
my heart
its time is kept at Your center--
You who command the moon’s cycles
with precision and balance,
with power that could crush
my life to dust with a word
but You are not a careless God.
You are bark of the tree
going up and up toward the sky
and down and down to the
turning life of the earth
and I‘m sure I’ll never know
Why you bother with me at all.