blue skies poetry

I. Confucius

Confucius says, “Man who moves
one foot at a time
always have balance.” I am puzzled

by his cryptic arrangement of syllables,
the obscurity of his syntax –
but I am most startled by
the quiet blaze of content,

the fierceness of the softness
in his eyes.

II. Lao Tzu

He explains that the Way
is in every breath, every step
along the knife-edge of this path
to harmony. I close my eyes

and feel the blade cut
my thousand-mile journey into the sidewalk.
I feel the tightrope begin
to grow taut beneath my feet.

III. Jesus

We step in unison, each inhale and exhale
creating a rhythm syncopated
to the normal routine of life.
He doesn’t talk about suffering
or salvation – just the weather and
the birds flocking overhead.

I think he appreciates the firmness
of the ground under his feet,
although the tenderness of water
would also have its appeal.

IV. Einstein

We meander much slower than usual,
but time, velocity, and distance are mere
elastic bands, stretched
between our hands.
He studies flowers, stops in mid-stride
to hold some new conceptual connection

up to the light.
He knows we will arrive
at some conclusion, eventually,
but it doesn’t matter when. We stall, frozen
in this moment, the universe around us
standing still, realizing

this is how it must feel
to move at the speed of light.

~ Josh Stewart

Josh Stewart is fan of hats, Tuesdays, and sushi. His first poetry chapbook, Invention of the Curveball, was released with Cactus Press in 2008.

Read more of ‘s poetry:
– Opening into Nothingness
– Man of Glass
– Strays

Filed under: Josh Stewart by akublik Date 4 November, 2010