Joan Shelley
Amberlit Morning
In the amberlit morning
The sweet smell of clover
Coming in through the window
As spring starts to show
Antigone retreating in the snow

How the soil dreams of fruit
And a boy with an axe across the brook
The gardener greets the youth
And sows the tears, saying 'don't you cry'
Don't you cry, these headless geese can fly

When having's done
Death hands it to
The quickening stalk
The virgined shoot
The outgrowned shoe
Every child sees it
Every child knows
As a child, I saw it all

And the dance here between us
In the crook of your arm
Unafraid if for just once
We've a place to stand on
I felt a tremor in the mountain
No place for us to cling to
Save each other
Here come the cows
Vanity and pride
I drink their milk
And wore their hide

For it takes so much to be human
And watch the bold die
I am sorry
And I thank you

Every child sees it
Every child knows
As a child, I saw it all
Even I see it
Even I see know
Even I see it all
Now