Nature is Not Always Graceful...

Green rock wall winding down the slope,

the brown leaves littering the wood, wet and quiet

as sudden showers shaken from limbs fall,

one by one, like liquid dominoes blown down 

by the playfulness of  the warm Western Wind,

cascading about my shoulders and cowl;

Winter came calling but Fall would not answer

as She twirled about Her cottage in the Woods,

rainbow colored  leaves of  carpet swirling

about Her skirt of moss and ferns

dancing with Her warm visitor,

with each turn sighing softly and smiling...

Stop a while and sit cross-legged

carving more of the staff i carry,

 peeling back, layer by layer

to discover what lies beneath;

the soothing sound of blade on Wood

as the rasp and rhythm relaxes the Body and Soul,

searching for smoothness, following lines

as minutes dissolve and i'm back in Time

but even there, she is on my Mind

as my gift lies in my hand

A rustle to my left, coming down the slope,

slipping and sliding with every other step

to end up at the bottom in a heap

is a lone Tom Turkey;

Nearly laughing at the sight, i contain myself

to see what else he might do...

 

Legs spinning in the air like Quixote's windmills,

he finally rights himself with cluck

almost as if to say, "just my luck"

and proceeds on his way as before

Scratching at leaves, no more than fifteen feet away,

i can see his pupils expand and contract

as he looks this way and that

and then straight into my eyes...

Again, the look is priceless,

is he thinking, "what did i miss

and just what is this shadow still

but steaming as the rain sprays about?"

He cranes his neck up and down

and side to side,

trying to see if this shadow hides danger

but then goes on about his way

muttering, "you could at least say hello, stranger"

My smile as wide as the Sky,

tears in my eyes,

my Heart races

and traces of me fly upward,

hoping to find completeness

This is Wonder, this is Greatness,

this is what so many miss

This is a Blessing but also a Curse

for I could be lost here Forever

and i would not be the first...

Aug. 8, 2011