I close my eyes.

Wrap her arms around me.

Faith is a mystery, the mystery of flesh known through flesh and breath and the vision of her eyes locked into mine.  Dreams a conduit to her vision, her wisdom, I can feel myself sing into her service. My prayers wet on her lips, supped up by her.

To the outside world I might look the madman, for what can be said about being naked except for gold jewelry and a black bear pelt, music on repeat playing on my computer, lights off except for its glow under my fingertips and before my face.  I see no conflict here- half digital mysticism, half cave paintings in blood.  She and I have danced here in the space between tomorrow and the Neolithic before.  She knows me well in this place, and I, her.

Breathing in, I call my body into focus.  I call tender hips and incision lines into awareness.  I note temperature on my skin and my tongue lit with peppermint.  I feel tile beneath my toes, imprints of pack animals etched into the clay.  I note the way my fur feels against hers.  I breathe in, breathe out, a four count times four.

I am present in my body.

Breathing in, I call my mind into focus.  I call chattering fears and beautiful dreams into awareness.  I note the steadiness of my heart and my eyes perceiving feathers. I feel my inner critic’s whisper, my knowledge and uncertainty entwined in my grey matter.  I note the way my mind smiles with love.  I breathe in, breathe out, a four count times four.

I am present in my mind.

Breathing in, I call my spirit into focus.  I call glowing rays of beingness into awareness.  I note the rhythem of my energetic tides and my aura glowing about me.  I feel the waves of the world upon me, the truths of divinity walking in and through my skin and sighs.  I note the way my piercings echo and fingers hum.  I breathe in, breathe out, a four count times four.

I am present in my spirit.

I am body-mind-spirit.

I am sex-pride-self-power-passion.

I am love-order-knowledge-liberty-wisdom.

I am innocence-desire-awakening-identity-expression.

I glow iron-pearl-amethyst.

I now hand my fingers over to body:

Kiss me feel my lips moving in knowingness tender teeth and tears as smears run down ink on my flesh I am lit up with this skin this tenderness such soreness in me such pain a dizziness as the world spins but I know this work know this will know this heat on my shoulders as the weight of her for she dances through us dances in us I am dancing spinning in my breath as I feel my lips part and weight for my tribe to enter me dance into me hold me black stars above my head as I wait for my fears of joints and capacity to melt away straining under my own lines tied off by brother hands and trance into oblivion there is work to be done

I gift my hands to mind:

How can I handle this Work I know is coming? I turn page after page and see stars there and know the lines laid out. I crawl through wet sand, feel the sun parch my fears, and know them to be my past speaking through me. I hold myself up, ruby and gold, and mourn the emerald work… and in mourning I have the capacity to move forward. In mourning I seek the power to move forward. I breathe in ruby, I breathe in, I sit up straighter. For this is the thing called LOVE- for love is the name of God, and this is writ upon my skin. This is not a metaphor. This is truth.

I pass my hands over to spirit:

We walk in the world of men, a journey into tongues and prayers. Here my call before the tower, hear my call beyond the tower. A time when words and wisdom was a single line laid out through time, a telephone to the mystic. I am prayer, we are answers. Together we know this work, Her work, the work of fur and fangs and gills and water washing across my shoulders and back into the ocean. O mama o. O breath and pain and love cast upon the stars. O shining one. O feathered one. O scaled one. O crowned one. O mama o.

I close my eyes and breathe.

I cast off my skin.

I walk into tomorrow.

I awake.