what the river says
go slow
feed me
(you’ve
forgotten how,
forgotten you used to know this;
but it will come
back to you)
talk to me
bathe in me
stand near me
lie down beside me
breathe
be still
hear me
listen
take a drink
water yourself
use me as breath
as guide
your personal elixir
your own grand
design
dip your toes in me
it cleanses us both
what the mountain says
go slow
approach with respect
bring sturdy shoes
relax
feed me
hear me
listen
do not take that photograph
do not take that phone call
take a deep breath
take a leap of faith
exhale
disconnect the laptop
reconnect the dots:
land to sky
foot to rock
hand to heart to head to hand
walk on me
walk through me
take comfort in my ancient underground hum
as your foot provides comfort to me
i breathe spark
i breathe mint
i breathe wild rose and sage
and purple green grey mist
just like you do
remember?
what the caribou says
go slow
i am not that different from you
lost child
we walk the same trail
our heads heavy and
restless
connect to the earth
hear what is beneath
accept the obstacles you encounter
know every path began
with unclear intent
eat
feed yourself
take what you need
leave some for others
listen. wait.
listen. wait.
listen. wait.
be aware
what the writer sees
treadmills
carved into the side of the mountain
jackhammers, chainsaws
drown out the song of the jays
deer can’t feed on daytimers and dollar signs
what happened
to the art
that used to live
in the earth?
This series is very nice. I like the way you gave voice to each non-human character and saved the writer’s voice for last.
love this (for obvious reasons)
An extraordinarily lovely and lyrical voice…serene, calming and thought producing!
This was well done. In a poem that’s filled with so much sentiment, it’s hard not to be sentimental, and your otherwise sure tread seems to slip once or twice, but all in all a really good read. thanks.
Beautiful! I especially like the ending to the mountain one–all those scents! Lovely! And the “art” in earth. Never noticed that before!