"oil and wine," a poem by Jess Coffman

Circles and stars,
A timeless sense of
being who we really are.
Waves of understanding,
that are ingested in each breath,
life-giving,
never evading death.
The inevitable ticks,
the swirls of want,
that heat and cool,
that ease and taunt.

Kiss me and I'm full.
draw on my heart,
pictures, of your love.
Let my colors invade your safe space,
Allow my hopes to disintegrate your walls.
Down the throat,
Wine of dreams,
that provides a drunkenness,
that does not wear off at day break.
Let's agree to break or prevail.
No more hesitation.
No more hearing bitter melodies of the past.
Let's pursue an "us" that
dies or lasts.
No luke warm sense of belonging.
But a song.
a Theme.
Harmonies that swell and let,
bind our individual melodies,
Unwritten rhythms,
A playful duet.

Observing the beauty of life,
seeing it from opposite sides.
Two...from a multitudes of possibilities.
The shade and light.
Two heart beats,
pounding for similar truths,
searching under trees,
traversing the paths of our lives.
Neither one more important
than the other.
Equal in loved.
Love as a brother.
Different, in intention.
Attempting to coexist
among the overwhelming,
and stunning possibilities
that could be missed.

"Having fun with what you can do
in the inbetween,
in the context of each color," he said.
And I loved him for it.
His imperfections that drove me nuts, and
wild.
Life, a complicated compilation of
known and not.
Love, a pure imperfection.
A puzzle.
Each of us, a piece,
to plug into the whole.
Peace being the goal.
Forging our way,
in the brush.
Feet, lead at times,
When the call in our hearts,
isn't loud enough.
Or we pretend not to hear it.

Inner tempo strong,
pulsing center,
locking into his.
Breath involuntary.
Sighs heavy with emotion.
Heavy with hope and despair.
Are you really there?
What can you see?
Do you see me in all of my
fullness and destruction?
Surrender,
the struggle,
and necessity.
Come to me.
Embrace the quiet,
outside of the influence.

It's a journey of extremes.
Not a race,
not a match for time.
A challenge of my dreams.
And I can't turn away,
I'm aware of the growth,
Aware of the lessons,
had, and to come.
In silent artistry,
we hold what we are.
A peaceful difference,
we embrace under oath.

JESS COFFMAN

I dedicate this to everyone who is seeking. Seeking love, seeking God, seeking purpose, seeking peace, seeking fulfillment, seeking your true path. 

We are together in this friends. 

I am there too, the person next to you sitting in traffic on the freeway. 

She might be in line with you at the grocery store, your hairdresser, the gas station attendant, your chiropractor, the single guy at the bar sitting next to you. She might be your yoga teacher, the fellow hiker in the woods, the guy you pass while running down the street, the child on the subway. 

Our challenge is to see, support and love one another without judgment, 

for the path that they are uniquely on.

Thank-you Grant for coloring mandalas alongside me, while I wrote this poem. 

Peace, Grace and Gratitude,

Your Jess