This is My Heart
This is my heart. It is a good Heart.
Bones and membrane of mists and fire
are the woven cover.
When we make love in the flower world
my heart is close enough to sing
to yours in a language that has no use
for clumsy human words.
My head, is a good head, but it is a hard head
and it whirs inside with a swarm of worries.
What is the source of this singing, it asks
and if there is a source why can’t I see it
right here, right now
as real as these hands hammering
the world together
with nails and sinew?
This is my soul. It is a good soul.
It tells me, “Come here forgetful one.”
And we sit together with lilt of small winds
who rattle the scrub oak.
We cool little something
to eat, than a sip of something
sweet, for memory.
This is my song. It is a good song.
It walked forever the border of fire and water
climbed ribs of desire to my lips to sing to you.
Come lie next to me, sings my heart.
Put your head here.
It is a good thing, says my soul.
by Joy Harjo
from How We Became Human
W.W. Norton, 2002