Reply to: “You Are a Spiritual Person”

Something wants spiritual 
yet hesitates, not wanting to show a lack 
of substance   intellect 
to not win at tennis or good looks 
or socially be nil, lose keys, pray them back— 
a blimp of spirit air, one rope barely attached to ground 

Listen Descartes: 
to split the body from the spirit is to take 
the hair from the scalp    mind from the brain 
sex from my prayers    God from the sandals 
I have worn for years. 

For I find I am a pattern on my kitchen floor bonded
to the sink    marked on the woodwork    riveted 
to the ceremonious instinctual feeding of bodies    wondering
about a bed of nails, cross again    I know not what I do
kneeling to clean the floor    nothing 
rises past my plastic ceiling 
duty has no wings    words do not fly 
but something does     spins from the walls 
brings the sky down      rests on my sill 
touches my body with purple and fine linen.