.:Out of Chaos:.

Talking to Todd at www.wolverinefarmpublishing.org while in the Bean Cycle in Fort Collins, a memory of a moment 20 years ago inspired me to write about when i felt one night while hiking...

.:: ::.

"Shadow Poem Number One"

Once upon a time
In a land far far away
When my self was
Still becoming

Follies be what follies are
Late at night I loaded my car
Driving out into the darkness
Away from the city

Taking only what would keep me warm
In the climb between the mist and the frost
From valley floor to above the trees
Through the veil of night’s freezing cloud

Escaping from or running to
Self doubt grips me by the chest
The primal brain takes over
As the rational brain struggles

The trees were always my friend
For hours I would climb and play
In the branches of my native maple
Even sleep as I lay in tree-top hammocks

Now my trip from city through wood
To barren mountain top
In darkness fog of icing grip
My headlamp played

The shadows
The shadows in the mist
The shadows danced
More then my mind could handle

Escaping from or running to
Self doubt grips me by the chest
The primal brain takes over
As the rational brain struggles

What in headlamp’s blaze did I see
Was that an ogre or like bane beast
Gnarled effigies laid before me
Trees in the mist my soul’s pain

Gripped in the freezing rain
Inflexible frozen stiffness became too brittle
Breaking as I laid myself down
To dream and sleep and sleep and dream

Upon the mountain top
Above the trees and clouds
Above humanity’s painful shrouds
Clear sunrise skies graced my eyes

My soul cleared the sun rose strong
Melting the stiffness of frozen brittle
Hoar frost upon my nest
Melted in watery drops rolling down

Breathing in the vivid dawn
Stronger for running from primal shadows
Through the mist what bade me to
The mountain

Was I escaping from or running to
My shadow



.:: ::.

we will see if this gets in to that cool magazine/book/publication issue number 11. ...
... you never know until you try.