Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Barefoot and Naked

This one actually started as a sense of oneness with a usually-less-loved side of nature. I was barefoot in cut-offs and without shirt while picking raspberries. Then some nettles tuned my senses to its possibility of my discomfort. And a bee buzzed my head.

I long ago learned that bees and wasps do not attack without cause. Neither do nettles or thorny vines. And even an encounter with such elementals have purpose beyond pain. (Google bee sting therapy. Or stinging nettle therapy.) Fear is a worse affliction. Love is the antidote.

Barefoot and Naked
.
On the other side of comfort
there's a garden too
past blooms and roots
tomato red
mint scented
protected by elemental
thorn, thistle
and bumble bee.
.
As Soul I am free
don denim and leather
boot and sleeve
and long for adventure --
oh pillow and rocking chair.
.
Still barefoot and naked
on this side of me.
.

3 comments:

  1. This is just awesome! I nearly held my breath reading it to a crescendo of recognition. This sounds just like my home here, lots of berries, bees, huge thistles (with great yellow finch photo ops)with the purple blooms. I overturned the lawn chair cushion to go sit by my cat and found a huge! brown spider I knocked off in the grass and then decided maybe I'd forget about sitting for now. I've gotten into nettles and any briar or irritant. Like you say, they have flip sides also that are very positive. Anyway, loved your poem and pre-story.
    Kyle

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  2. A beautiful work.
    Nature lover, eh?
    Gr8 work
    :)
    Do visit my blog
    :)

    Me poet too. . .
    :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. our garden's like that so I can relate very well to your words. I have no problem with bees or wasps in general and have even had situations where I've been surrounded by wasps and not stung at all.

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