Invisible wings unfurl within dream,
lift me above popcorn blooms
of spring almond fields,
allow me to effortlessly soar
across Ventana Wilderness.
Despite being terrified of heights,
I have never felt more at peace,
admire aerial views of redwoods,
weightlessly swoop over stucco bungalows,
steepled barns, Spanish tile roofs.
I wake to morning stiffness,
arthritic aches and pains.
Bills, housework, the need
to pull garden weeds
drag me back down to earth.
Energy flags, aging joints and eyes fail.
I look forward to launching soul beyond flesh,
a human caterpillar jettisoning its husk,
spreading feathered pinions to become one
with limitless celestial realms.
Jennifer Lagier taught with California Poets in the Schools, edits the Monterey Review, helps publicize Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium reading series. Jennifer has published twenty-two books, most recently Weeping in the Promised Land (Kelsay Books), Postcards from Paradise (Blue Light Press). Forthcoming: Illuminations (Kelsay Books).
