Howard is a [Fucking] Superhero

Howard commands us
``dream!''

he pulls strong medicine
rainbow parachutes and buckeyes
from his healing bag
and injects them into
our souls

his smile melts walls

his eyes turn from joy
to x-rays
to blinding diamond steel
and our circle
forges its new swords

he stands at the helm
arms wish-boned in strength
legs sure as trees
and his voice
overpowers our chaos
rending tranquility over
our heaving oceans of pain

he nudges us
to kindle trembling flames
pluck flowers from impermanence
and breathe in and out

he lets it dawn on us
alone and together
to marvel at what miracles
we might draw into
our fractured midst

his muscles pump renewing waters
from the center of the earth
he wets us down in great buckets
making hissing ash
of hearts blackened by fires
that char from below

Howard drops f-bombs
on the holes in our stories
vanquishing lies
and slaying villains
we watch agape
as green feathered truths
sprout from the craters

Howard's inner child
crawls hand by hand
along the same hallway walls
as ours
away from a poisoned past
toward invincibility
and we follow

we can hear the monks chanting
in Howard's sighs
and we take each other in
inhale and exhale
sheltering
loosening our chains

by nightfall we are ravenous
we feast on his courage
wrap his cape around our torn
selves
and light out

we dance around cauldrons
yell out our ghosts
pour out our shame
and the drumbeats lift our sparks
toward the nodding stars