Touch

poem & photo by Elizabeth
TOUCH

hands awaken 
stars in skin
till our palms
press peace
deep as breath

yet this snow-blind 
animal need for touch
shared by grooming apes
and dogs sleeping entwined
is rarely about sex 

but instead our primal need to know 
we are not stones tossed out to sea
as we breathe the same air
molecules shared
in this brief habitation of skin

Thank you to the editors of 5AM for first publishing this poem.

Longest Night

photo by Elizabeth

Happy Winter Solstice!

Many will sing and hold vigil tonight so that the Sun can sleep deep & long and then rise in the morning renewed, ready to begin a brand new day & year. In many traditions, tomorrow marks New Year’s Day in honor of Solar Time.

May this be a year of increasing peace, compassion for others and oneself, potable water & food for all and the building of a kinder inclusive world, not for profit but for love.

To your Joy and Life!

photo by Elizabeth