My Muse

My muse lives within me,
Not in a muse-zeum.
My muse is not a distant bird
      To be called and welcomed as a guest.
My muse is with me always
      In my heart, in my gut, within my every skin.
My muse is alive sure as day
      When I listen deeply and care
      When I forget myself in play
      When I sink into prayer
            And succumb to songs of my childhood
      When I dance unthinking in my neighborhood
      When I trust what will come
      Whether I sit here writing without planning
      Or I retreat into deep reflection and presence
      In a beautiful and peaceful locale
            Like the Tenderloin of San Francisco
            Like the streets of Buffalo
            Or the stillness within my soul.
My muse is
      Ever present
      Always there
      Often ignored but always ready
            To sing to me
            To sing through me
            To sing through us

Do you want to write with me? Please join me for an upcoming Kind Fools’ WRITE ON! workshop