Still Life Poem by Karina Olegario

The surging waves of today rise in me,
Carving their path in my heart, in my eyes, in my veins;
The unbroken mirrors of your reflection.
Through this river, my fountain has been
Nourished, awakened by the wisdom
Of the eternal universe of my ancestors,
Of my fathers, of my mothers,
Of Earth's children.

I am the instrument that has been molded,
By the undying movement of time;
The instrument that withstands, stands;
And defies my weakened body,
My unsightly bony hands, the unsteady
Shuffling of my feet.

My voice carries the wings of inspiration;
And my dance pirouettes through the
Understanding of the tides.
Oh, how my head tilts, a little, gently nodding
To the charming rush of the young,
In their love, in their chores, in their disappointment.

Thus my arms embrace your life, my life;
And my mild eyes, reveal to you
The strength of the human soul;
For we all flow in the same undying river;
In the same undying time;
The undying flow of life.