The Chalice and the Sword

It has long been my way

to harvest the skills 

and trade upon the talents

of those about me 

so I can build higher towers

and arc bridges across 

impassible waters

if I am burning you 

like a candle 

against your will 

you must speak 

because otherwise I 

will continue to seize

the stuff of your soul 

and weave it into 

the tapestry of the living 

that we are making 

together. 

Each of you 

comes to me

with a chalice and a sword

the healing cup

the abundance of your art

the flowing fountain 

and the sharp edge that discards 

the broken and profitless first attempts

and strikes for the heart of the vision

I will be the voice

calling for more

of what you can make

describing the agency

that you have mastered

in the work of your hands

in the appearance

of your creation.