The physics of falling
Finding yourself hurtling to the center of the earth
In an elevator
Locked in with no escape
Could you jump?
In the last instant?
In the last moment?
Would you live?
Who would you be with?
In that last twinkling
As masks drop in freefall
And sounds of terror rise,
Would that be sufficient cover
To liberate us for just that instant
From the bonds that now separate?
It is not simply a matter of physics
And the question is not simply one of falling objects
Rather, it is a question of how
Time can stand still.
M. Anthony Graham, 2006
Black Irises
Black irises edge the border
Of the garden where you sleep.
Bearded and velvety their hardiness
Surprises me on this day.
Black irises are not of the world
Only on the edge are they nourished.
The black transforms the colors
In the bright joy of sunshine.
Black irises bloom for the least reason
Reaching full to the sky.
Life is full of darkness in the light
Ever present as I live on without you.
Black irises stay with you forever
When seen in a garden verdant.
The memory of a single, shining moment
Feeds them every short summer season.
M. Anthony Graham
