Four Lessons

Through the gift of the spirit
the four lights appeared.
What does this mean,
“through the gift”?
It means help is always
near but not always near
enough. What does this
mean, “of the spirit”?
It means what is true
is always true but not
always true enough.
What does this mean,
“the four lights”? It means
it is always day even when we
are trapped deep within
the earth. What does this
mean, “appeared”? It means
even the mutable is fixed,
like a leaf always withering
and always unfolding.

ξ

Robert van Vliet is a poet and teacher who lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota. His poems have appeared in The Sixth Chamber Review, Selcouth Station, Autumn Sky Poetry Daily, The Eunoia Review, Wine Cellar Press, Otoliths, and elsewhere. His chapbook, This Folded Path, is forthcoming from above/ground press in 2023, and his first book, Vessels, will be published by Unsolicited Press in 2024. You can find him online at robertvanvliet.com.