Ash Monday Covenant for Earth Day 2013

Is it not enough to sift among the ashes

When we shall finally say

Once and for all

This is enough--no more

Once and for all

For we are only ever one and all

Once and for all

There is no us and them

no thine and mine

There is only we

the we of you--the we of I

The cosmic star charged,

ion of you and  I

earth bound

air borne

matter of all matter

scattered

recharged

incarnate

as leaf

as stone

as iron ore

once and for all

Is it not enough to sift among the ashes

for charred

and shattered bones

Like a phoenix the helix

strands  warp and weft

to weave

and bind

the strands of all beings

fur clad

feathered

scaled

serrated

veined

once and for all

we

the radiant spectrum

of sunlight 

sparks glance 

the dove’s ascending wing

bearing the flaming branch

the promise that

even among the flood of  ashes

we can hope

that once and for all

this shall be the last catastrophe

that once and for all

we will look into each other’s eyes

with the eyes of all beings 

and see our own eyes looking back

and once and for all

not hold back

not hold back

not hold back

This love so fine that

it wrests from each of us

the truth of who we are

Once and for all

M.K.R.F.