Six: Koala
Koala
Six
There is a vastness in the complexity of the galaxy
Which we may never fully understand
Or, at least, not in my lifetime. It is enough, for me here,
To stand amongst the wildflowers
Their fullness, heavy on the breeze
Petals softly swimming amongst the dust motes and the honeybees drinking up the light of the universe
How they dance together, a symphony in simplicity
And the softness of the pollen as my fingertips brush patterns into existence
Am I brave enough to dance here, too?
Do I see the way the world moves?
If I stand still, I can feel the earth shift. It’s rhythmic breathing, soft and slow, steady on like heartbeat to the spinning above
Where feathers dance like angels on the heads of pins
And I can smell the eucalyptus in the air
Bright and clean
A high note against the darker, musky florals of creation.
And if I am brave enough, would I taste the green of such knowledge?
To be the koala, instead of the world sleeping on his back?
His gentle acceptance, as that of a summer’s day, unburdened by the onset of the storms,
Brings the birth of new constellations.
And this too is his prevue,
For why, if such knowing is forbidden, would he smile so?
Unreachable Eden (prompt #6 text)
Peering over the edge of the world, the cool misty water makes my face wet.
Below I see the Earth the way it used to be, before man destroyed it with his greed.
Pure wilderness, mountains full of creatures we wouldn’t even recognize.
Gardens full of food are everywhere. A place without man to monetize and destroy it.
Clean air, water and food abound. All unreachable to man. Man had his chance. The gates are closed to Eden. Eden is unreachable.
On Thin Ice (Hour Three, A Tricube)
On Thin Ice
sleep deprived
body drained
agenda full
only choice
crystal clear
this she nose
she inhales
living life
on thin ice
(A tricube is composed of three stanzas of three lines each, where each line is made up of three syllables.)
Because She Hung Rainbows
for Lauri Carleton
Mag.pi is the name of her boutique
in Cedar Glen, California,
small business outside San Bernardino.
This fashionista studied Fashion in Pasadena and worked fifteen years for Kenneth Cole.
Because she hung rainbows
vibrant colors like the plush toys.
I played with in the 80s.
Lauri loved hard
a mother of nine.
She nurtured and protected
those she cared about.
This giving heart organized a co-op
gave out free food and supplies
during a blizzard.
Because she hung rainbows
her property and flags damaged,
but not her spirit and support.
This woman laughed through her smiles.
Because she hung rainbows
an angry culprit with a gun
took her life stained her flags
with hatred.
Now a community mourns
with “acts of kindness”
being done in her memory.
Children without a mother
husband without a wife
a business without an owner
all because she hung rainbows.
Hour 6 – Over the Edge
Over the Edge
I gasped at the vastness,
it seemed as large as
the parking lot at Walmart.
Only there was
no pavement and
no painted lines and
no RVs free camping and
no shopping carts running amuck and
no conspiracy theories.
In fact, there was no solid ground,
except under my feet,
and the view was breathtaking
and reminded me to stop
and reevaluate
before I fell into oblivion.
Hour 6 – The Earth’s Edge
I keep walking.
It has been years but I couldn’t tell you the exact span of time.
I have lost track.
The landscape changes.
It remains very much familiar to me with its colors, shapes, and vegetation.
And yet foreign.
I keep walking.
This path I am on will continue until either I reach the edge or my starting point.
I am unsure which it will be.
The horizon widens.
The heavens seem closer now than they were when I began.
I do not know why.
The landscape disappears.
I cannot see the land ahead; it seems to fade into the sky this time.
This is new.
I see the end.
I have discovered the edge of the earth and it is wonderous.
Terror fills me.
The vast expanse of sky.
It turns my fear into awe as I move slowly toward the edge.
I must see what is below.
I drop to a crawl.
I am too afraid to continue walking and being closer to the earth gives me a sense of security.
My hands curve over the edge.
I sink to my belly.
I scoot forward to peer cautiously over despite the vibrations of terror that shoot through me.
I lay still.
I cast my eyes downward.
And I am overwhelmed by the beauty that I see continuing without end both above and below.
I take a deep breath.
I exhale.
Exhilaration fills me and I push my body forward until I am surrounded by blue expanse.
I am falling.
Bravery.
There’s so much cowardice
in saying “I wish to die.”
When the pain
gets overwhelming.
But have you ever thought
Is there one among us
brave enough to say
“I wish to live.”
Hour 5: Clue but it’s Capitalism
You tell me my aspiration is dead so I search for the murderer:
It was the supervisor at the office Christmas party with the sixth whiskey glass
It was the employee of the month on the commuter train with the third rail
It was the CEO in the hospice center with the ringing cellphone
It was the homeless woman at the shelter desk with the minimum wage
It was the entrepreneur at the free pizza hour with the raise denial
It was the retiree in the job center with the student loan debt
It was the doctor in the recovery room with the second chance
It was the labor organizer outside the corporate office with the megaphone
It was the artist at the bank with the check from the first painting
It was the small business owner at the meeting table with the co-op agreement
It was the neighbors in the community garden with the dinner harvest for 20
It was the children at the full dinner table with the present parents
It was the murderer in the courtroom with the gavel
Cleared of all charges
Because we need not wait til death
to rest
Two Steps Beneath
A mosaic of moors in tranquil twists
Blankets of butterflies brushing moss filled rocks
Streams temptingly trickle past pastel painted flowers
Stars falling in droplets of lush light
Nature serenading a serenity
as it composes a melody of bliss