"Aubade for Gratitude" by F. Douglas Brown

Aubade for Gratitude
for JM & KL

Bless be the flower corpse tall
& wide, reaching toward
morning; bless be any
creature, bulb or blood,
learning to rise up from soot;
bless be ground cover, rich
soil & nutrients, sheltering
memory for protection; we
remember; golden joy & out-
loud laughter postpones pain
& thirst, but good Lord, bless
be a thirst when a flower
droops, dried remembrances
stink; & that’ll learn you how
not to heed haunts; the will it
takes to say, dead mother, and
go on living — bless be that,
too; nothing stops her empty
warnings: what will you do
when I’m gone? But hold any
answer silent, embrace the
steady wave patience
maneuvers upon; when
thoughts get hold of grief,
when words skim out of
control across your live
tongue, pin them before they
stir; bless be a song, the
morning psalm

resembles a body
on fire;

a body consumed
by worship;

not a malady,
but a melody, you croon
by heart,

eyes closed in plea
or amen;

blessed be an amen dancing;

a covenant of care, amen;

or caress, amen —

take what can’t be undone
toward rejoice so when the
first light softly offers, you
don’t dare run or hide.

F. Douglas Brown

F. Douglas Brown is the author of Zero to Three (University of Georgia Press, 2014), recipient of the 2013 Cave Canem Poetry Prize. He teaches English and Poetry at Loyola High School of Los Angeles, California.

Photo Credit: Staff