Wednesday, December 2, 2009

the birth of mountains cries of longing

Have you ever heard a mountain
or seen the majesty of a falling leaf
returning to the Earth

The return of spring in the opening of bloodroot
sweet redbud blossoms caress the tongue
the first new and purplish blue indigo bunting
searching for seeds

Thunderstorm in the humid Virginia hills
as we hunt for shelter
and watch in awe
song of the thrush after a hard rain
while everything glistens

Hummingbird upon rhododendron flower
frantically staying alive
always searching
riding the fragility that we take for granted
it's always a matter of scale

Golden hue of morning
diffuse, loose light
painting the visual spectrum ever so gently

Have you ever felt a mountain
silver hemlock drink from the stream
as do deer
where kingfisher hunt
and water striders play with tension
pileated woodpecker laugh
at the branches and dead wood
we cannot comprehend what lies inside

Get lost in the painting
mosaic dripping into our pores
as smell and breeze and feeling
of twig and rock against naked feet

Can you hear the mountain yet
coyote creep like ghosts
even the mighty bear makes no sound
flaming azalea and mountain laurel
outcrop of jutting rock stabbing earth
views stabbing my vibrating soul
as our frequencies coincide for
that fleeting moment
and harmony blankets my vulnerable spirit

Fat flakes of snow shadow
limbs and reveal secret paths
tongue outstretched
the crunch of winter
and new moons
and shooting stars

Entranced by the grandeur
of fractal delight
what patterns the trees
patterns you and me
and as the tree and we breathe
into one another
we finally see the truth

Simplicity of growth
life inside every death
we are a piece of the mountain
we are a piece of the field
we are seeds of change
floating as pollen towards tomorrow
ready to bloom

Have you ever become a mountain
rising
rising to the celestial heavens
flowing over the skies

I watched the world be born
inside the flames of cedar
reflected in your eyes.