If I could disguise
myself as a tree—ancient,
unnoticed, unknown–
when all was wild
unruled
each day began
alive, encircled
by the present
all was strangely itself
taking refuge
without before or after
neither first nor last
accepting changes
as intrinsic
to what is
a dance
always balanced between
darkness and light
Mish, at dVerse, asked us to talk about what has been revealed to us by our present isolation. I try to write a bit each morning and this was composed from fragments in my current notebook.
The art is from my continuing series inspired by Joan Mitchell’s trees.
That last stanza says it all. It’s a dance, a balancing act. We see it so well in the seasonal dance of the trees.
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Trees and birds…we would be lost without them.
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We would. Can’t imagine it.
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I like the description at the end of dancing between darkness and light.
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Thanks Frank. Dancing is always good.
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If only escaping from this mad, mad world could be so easy.
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We can dream.
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This has a haiku feel to it…..and very apt in the current climate…JIM
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Thanks. We seem to have been stripped to essentials whether we like it or not.
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I love this, and know what you’re saying to my marrow: ‘when all was wild/ unruled/ each day began/ alive, encircled/ by the present/ all was strangely itself.’
If only humans could remember how it is to feel this way. Blessings.
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Thanks. I think every once in a while we get a glimpse.
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We do.
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An amazing poem, Kerfe. I would happily be a tree. I love the thought of
‘taking refuge
without before or after
neither first nor last’
and the dance
‘always balanced between
darkness and light’.
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Thanks Kim. I think trees must have a better perspective than humans do.
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I have always believed there is wisdom in trees. A beautiful poem.
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Thanks Mish. I think so too.
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I think I might be a dream in a dream of being a human.
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That’s a lot of layers!
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