Each Aum is a Snowflake

i sang to you as the moon rose
you were vibration crystallized
a message from the universe

we practiced for hours together
you diligently confronted evaporation

i sat next to you
relentlessly exploring my wet feet

we melted through repetition
stained recycled rubber mats with magic

hovered above bamboo floors
with the sweat of effort

we stitched together discipline
cleansed our pours with sound

your resonance ricocheted
dissolved my cells

you were a mantra
the most simple one syllable word

with a hard to kick habit of
raining dictionaries and impregnating clouds

while i was looking for you
life landed a pirouette onto my glass windshield

i was moving so fast i could not read the signs
so i closed my eyes again, and listened

it was the middle of summer, hot and humid,
you were not supposed to exist, right now;

but you chose to not let your beauty be imprisoned by temperature
you freed yourself from both Mercury and Fahrenheit

through this planetary call and response
while sitting upon silk lotus blossoms

you took infinite forms,
you formed the formless
duplicated uniqueness

after practicing for hours together
there was nothing left but surrender

we even stopped counting the hours and days
for there was no more counting needed after 108

we prostrated at the feet of Bodhi trees
gazed upon glass sky scraping buildings on Wall street
repeating your sound with each breath, each floor, and elevator ding

you repeated as a skipping track
spinning sacred sound while i was
weaving sleep in the comfort of your arms

now, at the edge of a whispering fireplace
younger than walking or talking
and definitely physically unprepared
to catch a snowflake on my tongue
and hold it there

frozen, so not to melt
my chance of hearing enlightenment grew
with each time
your impact was increasing

listening to your voice
gave me strength to translate

each snowflake as a yantra
and each Aum as a snowflake

never to be repeated
the same again.

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Ed: Catherine Monkman