Stay With Me
Don’t ascend too high, my friend
Stay on earth with me
And don’t go to hell too low—no,
Stay in Virginia
with me
Change yourself, transform, transcend
But don’t go getting your wings
We need you on our physical plane
Us heavy human things
Don’t grow horns or tails or fangs
When hearts and hands will do
We need your flesh, your tongue, your mind
Because it’s only humans who sing
Don’t give away your debts and sins
Don’t give away your mind
Keep your festering open sores
Those perfect human things
Bring to me your thwarted attempts
Your failure, your worry and shame
Give to me your darkest heart
No, don’t go getting your wings
The place that breaks
When we stumble and fall
Is precious, most precious of all
I wouldn’t like you perfect
But blackened like a beast from hell
It’s the open heart, most fragile of all
Where we as humans dwell
I’m here in the flesh and waiting
for you
Whole and
broken too
