Iron Rod
You have known me since before the
Womb
Dictating what my momma should do
I knew that when I came I was
meant to break you. Reshape.
First, I had to know you.
Your terrain. Your make up. Your law.
Your essence.
Because you’re made of gold
like everything else.
The only thing is you’ve forgotten-hard
that you’re made of gold-
like most everyone else.
Not me- nah
You wrapped me up hard
like a candy wrapper refusing
to be disposed.
Enabled me from enjoying Life.
Stripped me of the capacity to
Enjoy, injoy Love.
Dulled the pain. Amplified Pain.
Until I took notice of something.
You’re dull, you’re bitter. You’re tired. Muddied. Muddled.
Taking the form of iron. In our minds.
…
Shape-shifting, weaving whisps of could-be desires,
Hard-won ‘truths,’
fears focused on what if, have not, can’t, don’t, won’t.
You’re a shell of a wind
Formless, yet with some magick you’ve come across
And the nature of Our road,
You’ve been able to take form, shape, and dominate Us.
No, we’ve allowed you to dominate us.
In this way,
See, I’ve been getting to know you, Iron one.
Yes, first from afar, through my parents, see?
My family, the Church, peers, hierarchies, human history.
You never could get a handle on nature, no sir- that’s Her domain
…
You’ve been longing for some rest, reprieve, access from
this relentless you’ve got going on.
And it’s okay- no one is going to whip You. Attack You. Pull the rug from underneath You. Blind You. Slay You. Pierce You. Judge You. Alienate You. Eviscerate You.
You’ve done that all on your own, baby boy.
…
You weren’t always the way you were…
Or you also exist in another form, yet you’ve, we’ve, allowed toxic rust
To run our rivers, our lanes, our veins. In our matrices!
Yet, we have antidotes! Cures! Medicines to restore You in You.
You in Us.
…
Because, Iron Rod, you are Holy.
You in Us
Yes, You-
See, You are of the divine too-
Divine Masculine, yes
and somehow, some way, some part of a You has become twisted
Meaning You can get untwisted
Let your love of hearth, love warrior, light keeper
Seep out
Let it soothe you, great one
If you can’t at first, take one step toward Her. Just one.
She will overcome You. Overwhelm You.
Swell deep inside Your very being and make Herself known to your every crevice, indentation and ghosts.
You’ll be lost for but a moment for she doesn’t want to kill you. Waste you. Become you.
She wants You to Be.
…
Make your way back home, with dignity, no shame.
For look what you’ve done! All that you’ve contributed to the growth of the world! The universe! Our consciousness!
You are driving Us out of the darkness into the Light!-Hard!
…
Yes, the chains you’ve formed and wrought have taken a life of their own now,
and they’re difficult to shake off, unlock, disintegrate.
They are also weak. They are also iron-
We are neither.
Dancing flame in Bovina, NY, MCKS Retreat Center
The Return 