'Ms Zili is much pleased'

The point of any of this is to remind each other that we are not alone. That this life is not a protracted suicide. There is one for each of us who is our twin. There is a great mirror seen from space known as the waters. Wherein we bathe, we sail, we drown and behold its glistening mosaic shards of moonlight or sunbeam capriciously dancing upon its veneer. A gracious and sometimes furious reflection to her brother, the sky and his alternating vapors of crystal and liquefied coal, anointing with solar flares and pricked with distant puddles of forgotten light. The geometry of the stars opposes not the the clear light and broad brush stroke of the sun. Together it culminates in a ballet of equilibrium of which Libra would be proud. Rendering itself in my wine glass upon this sacred midnight and across the tapestry of oceans I had the blessing to swim.
This is a poem of adoration to one of my patrons, the Voudon lwa Ezili Freda. She basically equates to Venus or Aphrodite and rules over arts, beauty and love. She as well as Obatala; Papa Legba; Archangel Michael; Asaliah, an angel whose name I love and council I cherish; my source of wisdom, the Buddha; my savior, Jesus Christ, the eight million Gods of man and innumerable rays of divine light help me to realize the unfolding miracle of life. When I first wrote is poem, I sent it to two priestesses for their consideration. Of all their kind words of response, my favorites were 'Ms Zili is much pleased'.
Lizzie’s River

To swim in Lizzie’s river
is to lap like waves
at the shore
Kisses tender
upon her royal lips
Shades, hues and refractions
on her surface are vapid
compared to her depths
Caressing her hips
naked below mine
her water flows to the ocean
My heart erupts
with the swiftness
of her currents
laughing away
the fears of my world
she sweeps me
into her folds
Great mother ocean
is in her heart
We spill upon the land
like lovers reunited
anointing the earth
with nectar and seed
When I swim in Lizzie’s river
the mirror of her flesh
reflects bright clouds
divine rays
and my humble God given place
among them
From the channels
to the shallows
swimming in Lizzie’s river
brings bells silver and gold
flights of angels
soft trumpets beneath my skin
throbbing in her warmth
compassion and love
Her arms carry me
beneath the surface
revealing puddles of light
left behind
by previous lovers
of whom we share
breath that surrounds her
whispering come away
live as her love
in this ancient land
She feeds me wine and fruit
from her supple breast
I in my nudity
decline all else
but to suck the juice
of her love
into my soul
through the pores of my flesh
til I be full
as full will be
Yet I hunger still
to swim in Lizzie’s river
caress her banks
ride her rapids
challenging all
to love her as much as I do
With no explanation
or cause for alarm
I decide to die
in a suffocated scream
so that I may be reborn
cry, breathe, crawl, walk
relearn me
all over again
to feel
the great desire
like never before
like a virgin
in innocence to explore
discover and decide
to plunge into her depths
and swim in Lizzie’s river
again falling in love
like the last time
after blessed time and time again
until finally
I feel Lizzie swimming in me
Making me pregnant
swelling until I scream
being turned inside out
to reveal the life
until now unknown
I change my direction
to smile upon
what we have created
and turn this charm
loose upon the surface
of the waters
watching its’ journey flow
beneath the stars
to merge into the ocean
to be a drop
in the pool
where we dip our hands
to wash the face of God.

Thank you for reading.
With all my love always,
Max