Three Poems

John Tagliabue

I
The sea gulls in their splendor bow and kiss the
      whirling air and dive and die
And find in foam the risen spring and bring the fish
      as bird or word
And dive and die into the sun and bring the son to glory
      in the sky
And dive and die in lover's breast and bring the sun
      to rest in the cool night.

ll
Those abysses of silence where roses grow, where
      women out of the foam comb their hair, .
Where lions in the golden lair sleeping by the sun at
      night high in the mountains
Walk like saints over the seas of air, there on such
      majesties of thoughts,
The dreamers looked down and looked above and
      realized in the moment and forever
That they were the children of God. Out of his side
      came Eden and out of her beauty
Shone the moon and the lions and lambs and birds and
      snakes and stones
Quietly conceived in their dream. And the stillness of
      Eve grew warm
And the dawn came to their desire as they saw God
      as Sun or bird in a celestial tree.

m
These lovers have wandered away from each other into
      the shadows of their forgetting, the sea gulls
      brighten,
The purest white of purest love, all celebrating the
      Sundays of doves,
Breaking now over their memory as grass over the
      graves of the dead.
Then swoops the white winged wide winged angel or
      bird, radiant sea gull,
He from Christ, and into the sea touches gently once
      more with his desire,
The Sun's necessary ever necessary love, and the
      lovers find each other's way again on the
      blowing blowing sands,
But finally great day, their blessed sea salty arms
      embrace
And the white silent thunder of sea birds speaks to
      their closed and wise eyes.