lenten journal: borrowed words

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    Tonight, I am keeping my discipline with the help of an old friend whom I know only through his words. Still, he is one I turn to on nights like this when I can’t find words of my own. These are words I have come  to before. Join me; there is comfort here.

    I Am Offering this Poem
    By Jimmy Santiago Baca

    I am offering this poem to you,
    since I have nothing else to give.
    Keep it like a warm coat
    when winter comes to cover you,
    or like a pair of thick socks
    the cold cannot bite through,

    I love you,

    I have nothing else to give you,
    so it is a pot full of yellow corn
    to warm your belly in winter,
    it is a scarf for your head, to wear
    over your hair, to tie up around your face,

    I love you,

    Keep it, treasure this as you would
    if you were lost, needing direction,
    in the wilderness life becomes when mature;
    and in the corner of your drawer,
    tucked away like a cabin or hogan
    in dense trees, come knocking,
    and I will answer, give you directions,
    and let you warm yourself by this fire,
    rest by this fire, and make you feel safe

    I love you,

    It’s all I have to give,
    and all anyone needs to live,
    and to go on living inside,
    when the world outside
    no longer cares if you live or die;
    remember,

    I love you.

    Peace,
    Milton

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