opening

A door opens when someone pushes it
Or pulls
Or steps on the automatic floor thingy

How satisfying when the store you need something from is open
Or the restaurant with your favorite soup

In springtime a flower opens to smile at the sun
And shows us the color side of its petals

You open a book to scan the brilliance of another
Or the lame attempt at literary significance

I open my mouth to eat ice cream
And bacon
Sometimes mixed together
Oh, and to sing in the shower, of course

In the escalating heat, a woman opens to her lover for their sacred pleasure

You open your eyes when you wake in the morning
Then open the curtains to see about the weather

We open the freezer to take out the frozen dinner
That we stick in the oven while we check e-mail
Which we open in the Internet browser
After opening our computer

I open the lid of the toilet
Because I am a woman

The window is opened for a fresh breeze
Or for survival when someone, you know, ...farts

If we are blessed, we rip open a gift on our birthday
And possibly Christmas

When our child is crying we open our arms to hug away the sad

I open my heart to the world
Inviting the pain
And the wild bliss
And making a case for the ritual of opening