Christine Lowther photos
My wild mind clawed its way out of the desert,
across the mountains to the western sea,
plunged itself into old growth forest,
saturated my heart with starfish and eagles
and herons and grinning joyous beach dogs,
plunged into the surf, discovered - breathlessly -
bioluminescence, fell in love with mountain,
sea and sky. This place was the entire answer
to my soul's question: why?
My wild spirit first had to flee abuse,
oppression, patriarchy, everything
that set itself to limit the expansion of my soul.
I found my wild heart's home in the green places,
with the wild ones. There is a certain landscape
that called to me, wherein I finally
grew whole.
Green fire! I find it among the ancient trees,
fierce love, as I try to save those who are left.
A wolf howl in my heart that grieves
all that is passing away; a faint hope,
flickering, that I can find a way
to make them stay.
for earthweal: Wild Mind. Today I walked through Tonquin forest, half of it laid waste, the heavy equipment roaring so loud, past their depradations through the rest of the forest, where there is peace and calm still, and a diminished habitat for the wild creatures. Tofino Natural Heritage is doing all we can to save what is left. There is a petition which has reached over a thousand, not bad for a small community of 2000. You can sign, if you wish, in favour of saving What Is Left at:
https://www.change.org/p/tofino-council-protect-and-save-the-rest-of-tonquin-forest-from-further-development?fbclid=IwAR37D6yz2WME62kolBDcNsqMmnFWfcUvokh2QHUOlxIbQ4RrQAZaizMKQg0
Yes -- green fire is something we grow into, becoming citizens of wild mind. The more we inhabit it, the greater something grows within. Wild heart. And for all the falling and failing around us, importantly we can offer that vantage clearly and purely. As here. Amen.
ReplyDeleteOh! I will, I will. Love your last stanza, nailed it can-do woman!
ReplyDeleteYes please sign and share! This would be a great poem and after-paragraph to send to Council Sherry <3
ReplyDelete"This place was the entire answer
ReplyDeleteto my soul's question: why?"
And so, it is no faint hope, but a bright and fleshy greenness you are living and helping with your words.
How will we heal without such landscapes? Yes, we must keep fighting.
ReplyDeleteThe forests aren't ours to destroy. They're the lifeblood of the planet. (signed the petition)
ReplyDeleteAh yes - to save those who are left....somehow this poem is almost a prayer.
ReplyDelete'My wild spirit first had to flee abuse,
ReplyDeleteoppression, patriarchy, everything
that set itself to limit the expansion of my soul.'
This is the journey. We will keep on fighting to find a way. Who knows what we can achieve with love on our side?
This poem is you distilled, Sherry. I see your face and hear your voice in all it expresses--love for the healing wild, grief at its wounds, fear for its loss, and a fire to save what can be saved. The struggle continues.
ReplyDeleteA wild journey indeed. So much love in these words. Thank you.
ReplyDelete