Patchouli

By Jackie Joice

(For Ralf)

This poem has been brewing for a long time
It’s bitter like a pot of coffee in a telemarketing
office
musky like patchouli
but sweet with accents of jasmine
We are connected to
minerals
because our life depends on them
Earth is red clay and
rich with quartz and minerals
a little ocean spit
and here we are
True freedom is the sound of ocean waves
the sight of a orange leaf blowing in warm
Autumn air
or the sight of an eagle in flight
True freedom surpasses
concrete and computers
and embraces the nutrient
soil and soul of the garden of
everything.