Maura Harvey's Poetry   Color Memory Dancing with Daddy Destined Fifth Guitar The Gray-haired Woman Older Brother Park Scribe Sacred Breath Starfish Talents The Nest The New House Traveler Two Volcanoes Questions for Cuba Preguntas Para Cuba Home page maura@mauraharvey.com

Destined In my next avatar I'll be an empress I will wear emeralds in my hair reclining on my great-grandmother's recamier I'll listen to the song of my green nation In the life to come I'll inhabit an island of birds of light where it rains clouds in the luxuriant jungle In a not-distant future I'll wear a velvet ribbon on my neck I shall be the woman most often painted dressed, undressed, armless, headless By then I will be lying on a bed of roses on top of a hill spirits will dance in a ring celebrating eternal summer where children recite the Song of Songs and the old ones plant violets On one of these days you will arrive on a visit you'll recognize me by the way I sip tea with milk read thoughts speak when asleep in your arms I'll take you by the hand we'll walk the path of days