DELIVERANCE
welcome deliverance into darkness in spite of dread
come outside beneath a new moon
if there is a candle—blow it out
sit with the absence. stand before the cold
come outside beneath a new moon
an icy pause in the spangled dark
sit with the absence. stand in the cold
shiver open your arms to despair
an icy pause. in the root-tangled dark
the hibernating bear meditates on her slow breath
shiver open your arms to despair
for it will pass right through you
the bear hibernates—her slow breath says
come underground
for it will pass right through you—
the bitter flame of ice
come underground. there
within the withered seed—all that it needs
the bitter flame of ice
a winter frog’s heart has stopped its beating
a withered seed—what it needs
if there is a candle—blow it out
a frozen heart in winter
deliver me into a darkness I can embrace
Poem by Janet Ruth
Janet Ruth is a NM ornithologist. Her writing focuses on connections to the natural world. She has recent poems in The Ocotillo Review, Sin Fronteras, Spiral Orb, Unlost: Journal of Found Poetry & Art, Ekphrastic Review, and anthologies including 22 Poems & a Prayer for El Paso (Dos Gatos Press, 2020) and Offerings for the Journey: Poems for Stewart S. Warren (Poetry Playhouse Publications, 2020). Her first book, Feathered Dreams: celebrating birds in poems, stories & images (Mercury HeartLink, 2018) was a Finalist for the 2018 NM/AZ Book Awards. https://redstartsandravens.com/janets-poetry/