sutra
by naomi johnson

1.
Where does the switch happen?
From, I’ve come so far, to
So much further to go.

2.
When you have a question,
don’t answer it.
Dissect it, lick it,
embroider it, plant it,
make love to it.
Then curl up in its lap
and sleep.

3.
You don’t know
that you can float
on the surface of the world,
that you are buoyant
and the world sustaining.
You don’t know that you are
light as a leaf,
light as a paper boat
with a candle in it.

4.
Bow to your bedroom.
Bow to the mirror.
Say, This is what I do have.

5.
Spend the rest of your life
learning how to say Yes.

Naomi Johnson is currently at work on a collection of poetry, tentatively entitled How To Say Yes. She lives in West Asheville and can be reached atomijohnson@yahoo.com