Sovereign

In my dream, a waking dream

As I danced on bare notes,

sparse like yucca across a winter desert,

I travelled suddenly/silently/sweetly

to a spacious grove

to witness my self

a great high oak

vibrant/majestic/un-stooped

sovereign

neither singular nor separate

not owner, not owned

exercising no authority

neither ruler nor subject

sovereign

in service but no slave

connected but not chained

sovereign

I wondered at this vision/fantasy/prophecy

and wondered that there was no entrance and no exit

while the grove itself had no boundaries

as the last note reverberated

and my limbs, like some hoary pine

reluctantly/heavily/gratefully

found a surrendered stillness

I wondered to find sovereignty a thing new

and passing strange