Origin of Me

 

 

I am from the wings of a dragonfly
The delicate sands of an anthill
Silky threads of milkweed seeds
Opened and tossed to the wind

I am from the roar of a Honda 70
Grasshoppers, gullies and go-carts
Dewey grass on sunburned legs
Arms wrapped around tree trunks

I am from flower power
Hiding in wall flowers
The tickle of rugs in shag
The crumple of paper grocery bags

I am from pumpkin pie with maple syrup
Borsch and crescent moons
Plaid jumpers and pig tails
Tied with purple yarn

I am from the scent of oil pastels
Grandmother’s charcoal sketches
Minor and major scales of G
Sunday school and follow the rules

I am from frozen toes and toboggans
Snowflakes melting on eyelashes
Hot chocolate steaming
As the porch light flickered

I am from pioneer women of strength
Men who worked the land
Prairies of rippling amber
Gleaming against western skies

I am from the salt of tears
In wounds still open
The pieces that are left
When hearts stop beating

I am from all that I wish not to be
And everything I wish to be me

 

 

“Where are you from?” That is the poetic topic at dVerse this week.

 

 

 

 

 

50 Things I’ve Learned in 50 Years…#15

#15. “Nature is amazing.”

A field

That’s all it took to enchant me

I have never returned

From the sound of the crickets

Blades  of green tickles

Or the smell of rain on the path

The path I walked

To school, to play, to think

The path I rode

My bike and my Honda 70

Over the bumps

Around that curve

Slowing down for sure

Because nothing’s for sure

Being cautiously crazy

Carelessly  stable

~

In the 70’s, life was about what we did. We DID things…without gadgets in our hands. We made things. We made things up. We looked for things. We found things. We entertained ourselves and created our own life, without Google and a status shuffle.

Playing outside was the key to our happiness as children.  We felt the wind, touched the grass, skinned our knees and burned our faces in the sun…without sunscreen.

Nature was part of my childhood. It fired up my curiosity and my imagination. Taking a walk in the field near our home gave me ideas. There was a large crater like hole surrounded by tall grass, which became a hideout. There were plants to identify and dissect. There were bugs to put in mason jars and tiny toads to capture in my cupped hands.

I always set them free.

There were trails in the field and my younger brother took to them fearlessly with various dirt bikes, deliberately catching air over mole hills. I admired him. I admired him so much that I wanted to be the only girl in the neighborhood to ride a mini bike. After all, a girl can only force Barbie to try on so many of those silly plastic shoes.

                 

The trees I climbed, the wild raspberries I picked and ate, everything I saw and touched in that field is still with me today. I was blessed by nature. I need it to nourish my soul, calm my mind and recharge my body.

If you find the time to go for a walk…..stop.

Look.

Listen.

Nature comes to you when you are still.