Selections
contributed by
Matt Burkakowitz
grumpo@hotmail.com

About himself, Matt reports simply that he is twenty and the author of this work.

Silently I've slept
through time, and time will tell
I've slept right through the very thing
that stood before I fell ...
The very thing that stood before me
watched me as I slept
And watched me as I dreamed
of where It would awake my rest

Blessed is the hero who collects no reward
for never will a stuffed belly slow his journey forward
never will a long smile make him feel indentured
and he will always know the starting point from where he ventured
so send me any praise or leave it out altogether
in bare weather let me sit and count upon my hands
let the waves pound and lap on the ground where I stand.
May a voice come from outward let it weave its way inside
and I'll know from that same moment that I tried,
So I might not look backwards to see if I made amends
since I left more than was there to begin.

Inside the spaces with a breathing grace
when hands reach forward for a loving face
when minds comb their desert for some comfort
then I wonder
was there really any pattern there to see?
swinging on a hammock between two trees

At times, thinking about my awakening, I have felt more confused than ever. I have had the notion that after experiencing such a grand appreciation, such a powerful revelation, that I should be bestowed with a message or knowledge. I have even feared that I have forgotten a message that was divinely granted to me. Now I remember, though, the world did not speak to me at that beautiful moment. What made the moment so beautiful, so deeply touching, is that I did not speak to it either, and we finally had a mutual understanding.