Come tear me to pieces, come tear me apart:

Open my arteries, open my heart.

As we struggle with history and desire.

Light a fire upon

The darkest, most drearysome of nights.

With that visceral spark of intelligence

That struggles free of the bounds:

Of rule and convention

Flames flicker into light

Lift our faces to the sky

  Rescues our sepia souls from the need to die.

For who will bring us the hidden things of darkness

And who will make manifest the hidden counsels of the heart? 

The soul is healed by being with children 

The child is father to the man 

And to man and woman, girl and boy

An ode to joy or a sotto voce word of encouragement 

Lifts spirits

Tests ourselves 

Teaches us

To live.