Friday, March 29, 2019

This Poem is a Wild Woman

Collage made for me by Steve,
now in the spirit world.


This poem is a wild woman,
knocking down invisible inner walls,
the better to observe the sky of mind.
This poem is agitated,
the inner wild a climate of unrest
when too far away from the untamed places.
Attuned to the call of  Raven,
the howl of Wolf,
this town full of monster trucks and logging rigs
assaults her senses, she feeling
as alien as a cougar
inexplicably materializing
on a sidewalk in the middle
of this grey little industry town.

Where is her soul’s home?
Deep, deep, in the wild places
where only the creatures live.
Sorceress of the midnight moon,
follower of the shaman’s path,
she drums a primal beat
that speaks “Home! Home!”
with a stick carved from her breastbone,
chants incantations to earth, air, water, fire,
prays her spirit guides will lead her well,
back to the ocean’s roar and the forest’s
sacred, hidden trails.

While waiting, Wild Woman
makes her escape in a poem:
sings to the trees, communes
with restless spirits, ululates with owls,
flies up and away over the mountain pass
every morning, every eventide,
to where the wild things are,
always and forever, forever and always,
a lover of rainforest and ocean-song,
she knows where she belongs.

Confined, her spirit finds no rest
away from her soul’s home.
Wild Woman restlessly circles and turns,
within the inner landscape,
like a too-large dog circling a too-small bed,
trying to make what does not fit, fit,
too tight the wrappings that keep her
from flying free,
for she has always been a seeker,
now hoping to find, one last time,
what has for so long been sought.







This was written in May 2016, when I was living inland, longing for the sea. It reminds me that when one hangs onto a dream with determination, it can come true. In my lifetime, not just once, but twice. I am blessed.



25 comments:

  1. Love the inner voice in this Sherry. The poet is a seeker indeed. This beautiful poem is a wonderful example of that. I love it!

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  2. The Idea of the too large dog, trying to make the too small bed "fit." It feels like "confinement".

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  3. Still nice here, Sherry. I vaguely remember it but it seems I did not comment. Shame if I did read it. I liked the discourse on the "soul’s home", I've been in some of those solitary and raw places, they are beautiful. I grew up in the city and only went to a couple of small towns nearby. Thank you for sharing, enjoy,
    ..

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  4. and we are blessed with you , dear Sherry ~

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  5. The secret about living by the sea is that it always talks to me and I never feel alone. However I also like to immerse myself in the wild woods too where even the trees whisper to me and the streams tinkle with laughter!

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  6. This is so evocative, Sherry ❤️ I can truly hear your voice in this poem and held my heart at;

    "Confined, her spirit finds no rest
    away from her soul’s home.
    Wild Woman restlessly circles and turns, within the inner landscape."

    May you always be content!!❤️ xo

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  7. What a wonderful place to escape to
    "While waiting, Wild Woman
    makes her escape in a poem:
    sings to the trees..."

    Happy you dropped by my sumie Sunday today

    Much🏵💛🏵love

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  8. I can hear the restless foot pads of the wolf as it tries to find a way to burst free. It is misery to try to live in a way that shrinks the best and dearest parts of ourselves.

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  9. Indeed..I never thought you would get back to the sea...and you did.Since you have had 2 big dreams come true you can't really ask for more:)

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  10. Thank goodness for the inner landscape, for the outer one is sometimes too difficult to bear.

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  11. This speaks the frustration of being out of place so well and I love the way you create the pulse in this poem.

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  12. I think I remember this one... how the world is wrong can be seen from so many ways... we needs poems to hide in.

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  13. This poem has a strong voice! I think I remember it too. My comments are back on if you want to drop by!

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  14. I love the image in the opening lines, Sherry, and the idea of a poem being agitated. I agree that the purpose of writing poetry is to knock down invisible inner walls. I love how Wild Woman is able to go beyond them and escape in a poem.

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  15. An impactfully imaged - really profound - piece. Beautiful writing Sherry.

    'Where is her soul’s home?' resonated with me - having moved (generally not by choice) a gazillion times over the course of my life, only to end up in an apartment (listening to the song of skytrain and traffic). It is, often, hard to find the way back to the soul's home from such places, but we try. And sometimes … we get there. ~ smiles ~

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  16. Beautiful Lady...you have already found it.
    Wonderful "Saga" (work)
    ZQ

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  17. I am so glad you found your way back to the sea. It is truly your place of heart dear friend!

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  18. Your spirit guides have indeed lead you well - closer and closer to your true home in the wilderness'
    I'm so happy that your gratitude is still very alive and that you are enjoying your time near the waves.

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  19. Beautiful! We are blessed that you are in our lives.

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  20. Yes, I truly cannot ask for more, and I dont. My constant prayer is gratitude. This afternoon I spent the whole afternoon on the shore and a very small grey whale appeared briefly, to put the capper on it. I worried where its mother was, as we didnt see her.

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  21. Sherry! I can see that "stick carved from her breastbone" so clearly, feel its symbolism so deeply, hear its call and can't help but roar, "Me too!"

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  22. like a too-large dog circling a too-small bed,
    trying to make what does not fit, fit... oh wow.. fabulous!

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  23. I believe I remember this – and love and thrill to it all over again.

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  24. this is absolutely beautiful.
    one can see and feel the emotions and love written about the oceans, forests, and the creatures of these places running free.

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  25. In winter I would love to go to Granite Island in Victor Harbour South Australia. The waves crashing against into the rocks below Rain drizzling down I would sit and listen to the silence.

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Thank you so much for visiting. I appreciate it and will return your visit soon.