At the Center of Holy

for Matthew Fox

 

 

 

Let me get back to the time

when to breathe was to worship.

 

Standing in the woods at daybreak

was to feel the essence of prayer.

 

Circling around a shagbark hickory

brought me into the center of holy.

 

My silent voice wanted to

break into ancient chant

 

but the birds knew how

to sing for a boy like me.

 

All I had to do to thank

my parents for bringing me

 

into creation was listen

to the chorus of songs

 

that came out of the leaves

and fell into my open ears

 

 

 

 

 Norbert Krapf, Indiana Poet Laureate 2008-10, has published nine poetry collections, the most recent last year from Indiana Univ. Press, Songs in Sepia and Black and White. This year American Dreams: Border Crossings, seven prose poem cycles, will appear from Mongrel Empire Press. Norbert taught for 34 years at Long Island University, where he directed the C.W. Post Poetry Center. As Indiana Poet Laureate, he stressed the reunion of poetry and music and held a 2011-12 Creative Renewal Fellowship to combine poetry and blues from the Arts Council of Indianapolis, where he has lived since 2004. He was a featured reader at the Scissortail Creative Writing Festival last year.