There are mouse bits
splayed across the sunroom
stuck to my favourite throw rug
and great globs of glue
The trap my husband set
to catch the recent invasion
apparently lured the hunter
for she, stiff legged and
face matted, is skulking
elsewhere
I stepped on a gluey bit
eyes not yet open
before noting
the disarray
Hard to concentrate
when a tail detached
from a thigh (foot intact)
lie stuck to one’s rug
and entrails drip down
the freshly painted
off-white wall.
It wasn’t the knowledge of stability –
chaos had the upper hand back then.
It wasn’t even that love was expressed –
unconditional an unheard of concept
It was an unspoken presence
the reassurance of rocks
the irrepressible allure
of a freshwater stream
How a child’s heart
found encouragement
in the whispering wind
solace in the arbored shelter
Naturally the din of home life
overpowered this self-assured
passage, disrupted kinship
and shattered childish faith
But all that is behind now
and when I clear cluttering
thoughts, disperse static
emotions, quiet the heart
The rhythms are still there –
presence offering sustenance…
(Poem first appeared here, January, 2021. Image my own)
Insects dance
at river’s edge
I am tempted
to run away
but heron’s calm –
a presence I depend on –
invites me to stay
Within the frenetic buzz
he and I find stillness
(Tuesdays, I borrow from Twitter @Vjknutson. Image my own)
The Great Blue heron declares me an annoyance
to which the Blue Jays rasp accordance –
I know I am akin to predator
but I come here with need
to this bug-infested
weed-ridden
riverbed
To be
Torn
as I am
by an undefinable
rustle, an inner bleed
that craves patterns, or signs
naturally occurring rhythms to define
my place within this current worldly disorder
(Image my own)
Flowers greet the rain –
face up appreciation –
nourishment’s glow.
(Appreciation first appeared on One Woman’s Quest II, July 2020. Image my own)
Blazing glorious
day bids adieu
Night has it own
shadowy shenanigans
Dawn and dusk –
ever-submissive
Wait with anticipation
for the gratuitous show.
(Tuesdays, I borrow from Twitter @Vjknuton. Art my own)
Soul begs for the reassurance of flow –
an enchanted place along the river,
a moment of solace in which to breathe
Heart glows at the sounds of summer –
children’s laughter raised above the splash
of clear blue – refreshing memories.
(Image my own)
Restlessness accompanies me
on this sojourn today –
unfazed by ripe red
belly of robin,
or shimmering emerald
of breeding merganser’s crown.
My lens seeks out decay –
rotting wood, darkened cavities,
as if my soul craves reassurance
that life persists even where death
hovers – I need a sign
Discontent, I move on-
drive the river road
snail’s pace – praying for
something to shake
this malaise –
birds come and go,
trees radiate Spring green,
I pause, unmoved.
And then I spot it,
across the river, up high,
a massive hulk;
lens raises, adjusts, snaps,
the regal hunter turns toward me
regards me with ferocious intensity,
does not falter on his perch –
All-seeing, fearless,
he is spirit-manifested,
a messenger, lifting me
from stagnation –
momentary redemption.
(Needing a Sign first appeared here, May 2019. Image my own.)
Infernal trek!
Wasted, mindless days
these chains of self-reproach
Will I never reach
yearned for peace?
Carry this burden
into the wind,
feet shuffling
eyes skyward
Stalwart trees
observe my passage,
birds offer accompaniment,
sun’s warmth charms
Nature intervenes –
peace is present.
(My image)
One Woman's Quest 