May you build
Wild temples
Of stones, flowers
And cast off things
Wherever you go.
Temples
To mark your journey,
Temples
Of heart break,
Temples of love,
Temples in the desert
Where the only
One blade of grass
Seems to stir.
Build temples
That honor your fear
The times of stuckness
Where your soul,
Parched and thirsty
For freedom,
Reaches out.
Build temples of wonder.
Build temples to
The mothers and fathers of the warmth, wisdom, and compassion
You have received
So that
You may turn from running
And face the demons of your heart
Holding them softly
And with sharp teeth.
May you be inspired by yourself
So that
You walk through the crowds
Of wounded people
With a warm heart,
A sharp sword,
And your eyes
Open
And undefended.
May you come to the edge of the river
Many times,
Called by your spirit
To cross those
Cold and choppy waters
And dive in
Gasping and swimming
Sputtering towards connection
(I am happy to be in the boat at your side)
May you cry
All of your tears
And laugh
All of your laughter
So that
Your sides split
And you fall effortlessly
Out of the boxes that have hidden
Your brilliance.
May you,
Kings and queens of your own universe,
Make up the rules
That enliven your own being
Painting the walls of your house with the
Brilliant colors of your essential self
Causing your neighbors
Eyes,
At first filled with disbelief,
To swim
Naked
In their swimming pools
And sing hymns to their children in languages
Filled with chortles and sobs and new words that they don’t even understand.
I wish
That you build many temples
So that
You can call
This fragile world
In which we live,
Your own.
by Rob Fisher
