love

I finally get what it is to love someone

it's not this or that
grasping

it is a proactive outreaching
outlining a space of interdependence

rooted in commitment to one's own clarity
with an unconditional realization
of another's autonomy

more simply

it's wanting to contribute
to making another's dreams come true

________________________

in gendered matters
is it possible for postmodern women
to fully imagine

being wives gardeners artists healers
domestic partners living in community

alternative economic arrangements
to getting a job
are for lovers and artists
as old as the hills

I am not referring to my own selfish hopes

for a caring presence is a huge gift to the world
growing expressing dreaming helping
nurturing and beautifying life

the contribution to a safe space for such unfolding
yet a dream too for at least some men

those better suited to job structures
and ambition-related agendas

yes I'm sure even alternatives have their challenges
yet if it is what is for someone
why waste time pretending otherwise?

if mutual offering can be done
in a way that respects each spirit
this is a learning opportunity for all

and one form of a relationship
-yes surprisingly practical in arrangement-
I would call love:

a mutual commitment to
nurturing one another
on both spiritual and physical planes

__________________________

the sacred economics of abundance
in service to the world
is certainly not confined to romantic love

it is kindled from our innate human desire
to see one another's dreams come true
regardless of circumstance

a man mentors another man
to become a caddy in Scotland

this too is love

a robed zen transmission
flows from guide to seeker

or hard-won lesson
in the classroom or on the street

it makes no difference

somebody just shows up
with a full commitment to life

and someone else just notices

in that moment
equally gifted

they stand in the truth of
that blessing energy

hearts opening
exactly as much as each is free to choose

out of individual need
for both the autonomy
in honoring one's own clarity

and the connection that comes through
honoring the nurturance of relatedness:

with enough honesty and trust
empathy really

it is an abundant space
indeed