Birthday Poem

Barwon Heads, January 1987
From a day spent walking miles of beach
I bring two images home. One, a butterfly
merged with sand, half-wings still conjuring
the opulent swirl of peach and black.
The other, seagulls flying over my head
towards the sun: my eyes tracked
their bodies, then their soft shapes
speeding towards me over sand…
After long search, this day is a setting free.
Growing older, I inherit my body more truly,
move closer to spirit whose home is body.
At death, spirit may become the body's home;
learning from time, it prepares for such a choice.
Today brought these images, this turning point.