within these walls
the mother drum –
she beats
a slow familiar

as a band
without the need to hurry home
beyond the curse to be defined
by history and places
echoes of a music
still to flow

loosed within these vessels
plays one song
all night
and stills for me
the changing of the guard

the heavenly host
for closing down
the last of breath to be
so silently upon the keys
I bear

mother drum
replays the verse
I knew somewhere before
without the words
I hum it in the dark

where more than song
was played upon
my own

by willing hands –
returned to tune
strings and keys
alike

stayed up nights
to learn the psalms anew –
for what of this is wisdom lost
forgotten not
the poet

for chorus lost
among these fragile notes
of dreams we played
of home –
the pillow slept

stay the place
a morning more
to feel the lullabye –
as practiced fingers
trace the grain
– heart to mother drum