Credo

We believe in the one message
like a fever chill
in each mushroom, inside
the chanterelle, the morel,
the rose coral and the shaggy mane.
We believe plankton travel the sea's veins.
We believe the movement of a lake trout
takes on the sanctity of number
as the osprey dives. We believe the towhee.
We believe alpine snow water, when it teases the crags
and outcrops like clear giggling crystal,
is memorizing sunlight to help the oysters grow.
We believe in synchronicity. We believe when a poem is conceived
the beloved knows. We believe Jupiter touches us with luck
as we live and live again, and that Jesus knew.
We believe sod holds. We believe there are
in each of us particles that once
were stars, that matter is thought,
and that this belief is the way
of breathing in.

James Bertolino, Poet & Planetary Visionary

James Bertolino's poetry has been published in magazines, books, and anthologies internationally for almost 40 years, from "Drool" published in 1968 to his most recent, "Pocket Animals: 60 Poems" published in 2002 by Egress Studio Press. Check out his website to purchase his publications through Egress Studio Press and for more information and free beautiful poetry greeting cards that you can copy & print directly from his website. Read other poems James has kindly allowed us to print at Satya Center in the James Bertolino Archive.


(Photo of river is clip art and the photo of James, courtesy of the poet. All poems reprinted here with the kind permission of James Bertolino.)