mountain majesty

I sat in that antiseptic hallway with closed eyes
looking up at the possibilities.
Mrs. White shuffled by me,
touching my colored construction paper
it occurred to me that my task at hand
is never what it seems
it’s larger than a paper picture
so I closed my eyes and imagined
if I were inside these walls
if I had these physical boundaries every day
if I had no beauty to feed my spirit
what would I want to see?

I sat in that antiseptic hallway with closed eyes
looking up at the possibilities.
Mr. Frailix staggered by me
clutching the sleeve of his lost arm
as he asked me again
when I was going to bring him lunch
“I’ll be feeding your spirit in just a minute, Mr. Frailix.”
He told me he’d rather have soup.
So I closed my eyes and imagined
If I’d rather have soup than beauty
if I had nothing to put in my cup but water
if I only had physical sustenance to feed me
what would I want to see?

I sat in that antiseptic hallway with closed eyes
looking up at the possibilities.
Mrs. Snyder rolled by me
incoherent, when yesterday
she’d been more vibrant than I
A fall changes you at that age
So, I closed my eyes and imagined
if I lost myself where would I look
if I couldn’t remember beauty who would remind me
if I was without comfort
what would I want to see?

I sat in that antiseptic hallway and opened my eyes
to the possibilities.
My brain skimmed over imagery
Tossing ideas back and forth
shelving some for later
until the spirit within me
found the perfect thing.
I closed my eyes and imagined
spacious skies, waves of grain
purple mountain majesty
and I created what I could see

I sat in that antiseptic hallway and opened my eyes
to the possibilities.
Mr. Lempassis rolled by me
his voice a full baritone
shocking in its intensity
he sang what I’d seen
in paper bits in front of me
and I wondered what I’d imagine
if I were he, instead of me
if my spirit would be free
if I could live in a moment of imagery

I sat in that antiseptic hall
and imagined the possibilities.