Roy Herndon Smith
The air’s for breathing,
water’s for drinking, the earth’s
for home, we’re for love.
When you’re sad, I’m sad,
and when it rains, the world weeps;
joy comes with the sun.
The night’s for holding
each other close, for dreams of
flying free and far.
The wind roars and stills,
the cosmos explodes and stops
between you and me.
Rising sourdough stinks,
baking sourdough promises
a taste of heaven.
Yesterday’s joy is
tomorrow’s sorrow, today’s
tenderness lingers.
Grace flees possession,
a butterfly flutters in
the afternoon sun.
The cat not called rubs
against my legs; the cat called
stalks proudly away.
The dog not called leans
against my legs; the dog called
jumps all over me.
dust 