revolutionary minutae, a love poem

it reminds of the radical idea of yours that everyday there is something so important about the everyday
something revolutionary about the minutae of the work that gets a family through this day unto the next
of choosing that which is already there
being satisfied with bearing a child, growing your food, making your meals, loving your children, having a partner with whom to build a life
that these are the miracles
to be noticed and cherished
nurtured
and i miss you, in these ideas
because these are our dreams
and this poem is a testament to the practical
the tangible
the manifestation of these little moments that are everything
these small acts that build a body, a family, a community
a whole life, a forest over time
it celebrates the many generations that brought these things to bear
and anticipates those who will come after,
lineage and continuity
it revels in the soil of a forest, its ecosystem alive
with the tiniest of nutrients that bring life to an eternal, temporal cycle
a forest is rooted in one place, committed to one thing

we each, you and i, have our own radical acts in our daily lives, and they are separated by an ocean
witnessed through email, skype, a feeling of knowing you are there....
and connected by our love and appreciation, our deepest respect and mutual inspiration
i can breathe you in, from this far away
this is a love poem to a love that exists and persists
that simply is
i need to accept that, just as it is
like the miracle of today and yesterday, and the snow that is falling, and my legs that walk me, and the smile that comes to my lips
this helps me to find peace in myself
to quell all my fighting and wanting, my desires for this or for that
to be happy with who i
where i am
what we have, what this is
over the distance, through the aspirations and hopes to be together
is this gift of loving, sharing, inspiring, connecting, holding
it is a liberation
not a problem to be solved or a dream to be made real
as you rest your head on my lap
under the shade of a tree
it is all perfect, it is perfect just the way it is

this is my response to a manifesto: the mad farmer's liberation front, a poem by wendell berry, sent to me with love, across oceans and times zones, into the lap of my life.