To My Body … With Love

To my body…

the museum that holds

the artifacts of my history and

the history of all life.

To my body…

the family album

that contains  the image

of all my ancestors.

To my body…

the library

that holds the unread biography

of my life.

We have been strangers all too long.

I feel your grief.

I feel your loneliness.

I feel your fear that I may abandon you…again.

I may…

out of my own fear and ignorance;

but not for long;

for I too feel the pain

of our separation.

In leaving you,

I have left myself;

for you are me.

I am learning this slowly and

often painfully.

Yet, I feel the joy

of our reunion.

For you are my best friend,

my teacher,

my lover,

my partner,  until death do us part.

RJB (1990)