POEM: Discovering Home (from Inverse Origami)

Discovering Home      

--- a poem from Inverse Origami

 I used to live in the front entry
       with the hall table and a mirror
       reflecting latched glass doors
       leading inward, heavily curtained
       I dreamt in shadows, vague confusing rooms,
       a twisting maze opening into light
One day, unexpectedly
I came out from behind the doors
       introduced my self to me
       stepped in as
       the doors opened
to living space, a country
       of dangerous mountains,
       temperate forests, prairie grasslands
       rippling; full oceans
       frothing to universal currents.
I am one
       with this geography
       it matters to me and I to it
       here I embody magic
       lead turns to gold daily in my hands
       in the hands of those around me.
now the entry is for guests
        the curtains are drawn back,
        the door, ajar,
        so visitors can wander
        see the sights
leave delicious word-maps
       to their own countries.

c) 1998, MM Walker

This is a poem from my 1998 Chapbook "Inverse Origami - the art of unfolding" Most human beings have capacities far beyond what they see of themselves everyday. Sometimes it takes a while to discover all the various people you contain - and who you might be, could be, will be. And to honor even those aspects you choose to hide..... The photo is a digitally finesed picture taken in a dark room where lights hung behind heavy curtains. Only after fiddling with the settings was I able to see the unknown woman sitting there in the dark. I hadn't realized there was anyone in the picture.  It seemed a match for the poem.