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I felt the breath of God in Santee
by the shores of Lake Marion
the spiders like aliens
weaving webs the size of quilts
white and silk tapestries of insect thread
jungle creatures with big, black eyes
and I looked to the sky
overcast and clouds a boiling
the wind blew through the treetops
knocking the leftover rains from their leaves
the brush as thick
as terminal cancer in the lungs
and the lonely breeze
whispered help me please
as I walked on down the road

And the green was everywhere
the breath of God cooling my veins
and I strain
to find meaning in every pulse
I strain to find meaning in my mind
my dreams
my sleep
my pain
my rage
love

And the deepest green was still everywhere
the chalky tracks of the dirt road
looked like baby powder
on the tires of my burnt-out ride
and I ran
I ran up the road
into the tunnel of trees
the verdant canopy of angels
God’s leafy cherubism
cradling the path of my life
and I ran down the road
back into the sun
breathing hard
And spitting blood
and I preached to the stones
the sky
the trees
the weeds
the birds
love

And it felt fine beneath the cloaked sun
the fireball veiled in churning clouds
it felt good for a change
to be amongst the rural world
the rural South
the old man rocking on his front porch
just breathing in the vapors
of heavy vegetation and peace

I rolled with the marbles toward home
ice chips in the eyes, the work of romantic elves
destiny forever on the dash, beyond the cracked windshield.

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