In Search of the One Who is Waiting by Donna Snyder

 

Painting by Lobsang Melendez Ahuanari

fallen leaves soft as velvet
faded grays and dusky pink
veins dark within decay
humus devoid of warmth
dry leaf upon dry leaf crushed to powder
 
infant clouds spun of yucca bloom
a basket woven from Earth’s bounty
a future full of mystery and chance
the slow kiss of an aging sun 
empty vastness of waiting paper
 
you give birth to the world 
the world becomes your lover 
a band of gypsies dancing
the beat of hammers mining
percussive shovels dig into earth
 
possibly saving your own life
late afternoon falls
lost in the experience of tactile pleasure 
thought deviates from first thought
returns to earth entwined in vine
 
you want to cry
you see Isis unveiled  

A poem from the upcoming Girl God Anthology, On the Wings of Isis.

Donna Snyder founded the Tumblewords Project in 1995 and continues to organize its free weekly workshop series and other events in the El Paso borderlands. A version of her poem “in search of the one who is waiting” is included in her collection of poetry published by NeoPoiesis Press, The Tongue Has Its Secrets. Her other books include Poemas ante el Catafalco: Grief and Renewal (Chimbarazu Press) and I Am South (Virgogray Press). Her poetry, fiction, and book reviews appear in such journals and anthologies as Red Fez, Queen Mob’s Teahouse, VEXT Magazine, Mezcla, Setu, Puerto del Sol, Jesus, Muhammad and the Goddess, Inanna’s Ascent, Original Resistance, and Speak the Language of the Land. Snyder previously practiced law representing indigenous people, people with disabilities, and immigrant workers.