To Dust

A handful of earth
Crawling red between my fingers
Slides to join its mother
And the world is whole again
It leaves no imprint
Except on my soul
And under my finger nails
I carry it with me
The echoes of the earth under my feet
And my finger nails
That tingle with excitement
Not yet not yet
I whisper to those fingertips of mine
Not yet the earth has to wait
And we will join her soon
Soon but not yet
Soon we will be in her red embrace
Soon we will sleep inside her heart
And return to that dusty place
When the breath has gone
When-- not yet not yet
For now I carry it with me
Under my fingernails
and on my toe tips