Retrace old ways. Become a son.

Retrace old ways. Become a son.

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The only ways that forward go: retrace

each backward step, each knot that acts to bind.

And thus undo the tantrum that defaced

the patient work creative love would find

itself a-doing million years of days

(each day might be a thousand years or so)

but ev'ry tiny wing or seed displays

what work creative love can do and know.

Until it owns, as only love can do,

to set it free to be, or choose (as might

a baby god, if GOD would be such who

would make and take such chances, though they're slight.

Creative love which made this gum-tree, and,

the gum nut from which it could then expand;

the also wants to kneel and hold the hand

of tiny babies who don't understand.

And more than "wants to", does on ev'ry day

when any father, mother,  kneels to play,

and help a little one to stand, or say,

a sound that could connect, or mean, or pray.

By "pray", I mean the old word that means ask

for help from someone higher up the line,

to thus enable a more complex task,

or when some wisdom's needed at this time.

The source of all creative-love's at work

(who loves, as parents only try to do),

to teach us love, though we must not just shirk,

but discipline ourselves to this end too.

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