cup your hand to hold the time

the hollow shape like the well a little bird makes in the snow
warm and cold and empty and full of the longing for a body
the hollow shape

here pour in the hope of moments
one two three four five
at least

you do not need to know the moment to hope it into your hand

how many do you count on your fingers
behind your closed eyes
one two
at least at least

you might pour your tea now
do not pour it into your hand
pour it into your cup
send a whispering breath over the surface
so you do not burn your lips

cup your hand to hold the time
simple gesture for opening and keeping
as we can
Which is not always for very long
at least at least
for now though
the hollow is enough
one two three

as you sip your tea with your not burned lips
your not burned tongue down your not burned throat
from your tea cup
you might taste the thyme on the tip of your tongue
it wards off nightmares and staves away fear
so they say
or at least they said
many hundreds of years ago
the gift of thyme is a gift of courage
and of hope
so they said
or so I say
here

a hollow: a bird body,
a gentle piece of fruit,
a rounded stone.

you do not need to know the moment to hope it into your hand

the root word for thyme
is thymon, which translates
from the ancient Greek to mean
something burnt in sacrifice.

a sprig of savory wonder into ash

you might taste the time on the tip of your tongue and wonder what has been burnt, or what must be, what are the sacrifices that have been made or must be

thyme for courage and for oblation thyme for mettle and for release
a flare of warm lingering green

turn the hourglass over to start anew
watch the sifting

the hourglass cracks with the heat
and sand
sand slips slips slips through the fingers of the cupped hands
trying to hold
and the grains slip slip slip
sifting to the floor in soft patterns
to trace what can be let go
to trace what is enough for nowness

you do not need to know the moment to hope it into your hand

the warm cup cupped in your hand you might close your eyes and notice the shape notice the warmth you might allow for the slippage of time inside the cup inside your eyes
there are seven quintillion, five hundred quadrillion grains of sand on earth

there are over 300 varieties of thyme
thyme grows all over the world
covering the earth in fragrant green
and sometimes tiny pink flowers

look into your cup and draw out the tea leaves if you have not already
spill them out onto a plate or a saucer
close your eyes
one two three four five
and then open them
what do you see

you do not need to know the moment to hope it into your hand

if you see a bird or a cloud or a wish or a clock or a star or a body or a stone or a lover
the form might be what is the next moment can hold
in parts or in whole

the leaves of thyme are food for the larvae of butterflies and moths
some eat thyme alone
what wings grow from squirming brown things
with hungry mouths

whatever you might see or not see
take courage, you have taken courage, sipped it
for opening in, for letting go

the hourglass is broken
measure gone
the present moment alone
in the cup of your hand

thyme sprig grows
wild and fragrantly

and in the cup of your hand
you do not need to know the moment to hope it