UNCLE HEART
Had a tea party this afternoon
Invited everyone and everything
My dead grandmother was there
“are you happy?” she asked
Dear Grandma always going
Right to the point

I could not answer that
Because I could not say
What Grandma always
Wanted to hear
But bird chimed in
How happy he was
And showed me his happiness
It was there in his heart
And real

Peace sat then with us
Sipping her tea
She pointed to the field
Below us to where the
Lion and the lamb
Lay down together
In the sun
Clearly this beautiful afternoon
Belonged to peace, it was her
Day

After some encouragement
The lost uncles came only
Because the lion and the lamb
Lay peacefully next to each other
Only because the day belonged
To peace
A rare outing in the light of day
for these isolated males
who brought their brutality
and violence with them
into the sun to sip
tea with us all

when the lone, old warrior
dropped an arrowhead into his tea
I could not help but ask why
He said that it gave him strength
I asked how long the arrowhead lasts
(how much strength can you draw?)
He said it lasts until it is needed
To strike into another man’s heart
This with a twinkle in his eye
Toasting me and laughing at me
I understood darkly that there are
As many arrowheads as there are hearts
if you ask the warrior

Uncle Heart walked up and
Put his warm and friendly arm
Around my shoulder, turning
Me away from the warrior
Uncle heart said confidentially
Not to leave decisions to
The old warrior
Then he twisted to wink at
The old warrior watching us
And he added meaningfully
Unless it is really necessary!
Squeezing my shoulder
Uncle heart always wants to
Make things perfectly clear

Uncle heart is the tree
His roots go down deep
Into the mother of us all
Even while he reaches
Up into the sky
He told me to beware
Of the gatekeepers
Pressing the palm of
His right hand against
My heart, he said that I knew
How much he loved me
As the older men will do
I am always here for you
He says with a big hug
I know the whole family
The whole family knows me

Uncle heart is bit of gossip
Loves to confide, to take you aside
Between you and I, he will start
Don’t let anything man or beast
Stand between you and I
Said uncle heart seriously
I thought of how the warrior
Always has his place, his time
Sitting nearby so peacefully
Sipping his afternoon tea