Understanding Found Poem by Gabrielle Ciarann Roniyah Baer

Understanding Found


You found me. I still don’t quite know how.
You saw me. You saw into me. I can’t even now say why.
You didn’t know me,
yet you taught me who I am, and guessed who I could be.
you taught me self sight.

A sister better than I could wish for,
A mother kinder than any known,
a lover I long sought after,
a friend who let me
save myself, you became,
and you are still.

You are Gaea! I told you, blissful once,
You are the life force I’d only begun to glimpse,
with just the dimmest sense of Who She is.
You hold within you
Maiden, Mother, and Wise One
and gave me to see Her
in myself, as in a mirror, darkly.
Your touch is healing, always
your gift is loving so greatly
Your smile is moonlight,
Your love is song,

Past, Present, Future, Dream-Time we’ve held in our hands,
holding together
Sisters, Cousins, Partners, Daughters we’ve compared our life to,
staying together
No definition holds us,
going on together,
odd or otherwise.
Most of all we’ve been friends and lovers and mothers
to so many bright brave feline kinder,
and so many songs and stories,
taking us onward
being together.

We knew we were special,
and specially gifted,
We knew we were strong
and constantly tested,
We knew we were walking
‘the road less taken’,
We knew we were breaking
ground for those coming on behind.

We know our worth, we know our meaning in many lives,
We know our hearts’s depth, we know our spirits’ reach
Because we’ve given and been gifted,
We’ve been tested and proved our strength,
We’ll be builders of homes and nest makers,
We’ll be havens and sometimes hellers, too.
We’ll be star climbers and dream catchers,
We’ll be our heart's wide wayfarers,
our soul's safe moorings,
Always friends, more than sisters,
forever lovers, never in truth apart.

Once I was Kore, and you Demeter.
Happy and grieving, loving and sad,
This pattern is well set and well-remembered,
Our times are rare together and preciously spent,
Do not mourn me out of my season, though,
I may go but will always return.

I’ve told you stories, I’ve spun you dreams,
Some part was always real,
We’ve been together
Countless times,
We’re never separate, very far.
That’s why I hold you dear
And how you know me
No matter what my tales or
Why you grieve,
That’s how you find me,
Over, and over again
When time blurs my mind
Except to your touch.

I’ll write you stories
You’ll sing me poems
No matter where I am,
No matter who
I’ll hear you,
you’ll find me
We’ll begin again
Till karma is done… and beyond
You love me always
I always love you
Nothing changes
But time, space and form
We are reality,
We are magic
We are forever
You see,
I just found out.


first written 12/30/82 [rewritten May 8,2009]