Aunt Leaf - February 18, 2010
Needing one, I invented her-..
Dear aunt, I'd call into the leaves,
and she'd rise up,..
...and whisper in a language only the two of us knew
the world that meant follow,..
and we'd travel
as cheerful as birds
out of the dusty town and into the trees
where she would change us both into something quicker.
At day's end she'd leave me back at my own door
with the rest of my family,...
...this bone dream,
this friend I had to have,
this old woman made out of leaves.
The friends that I conjured up as a child were always birds. I'd walk in the woods and talk with them, and make up songs for their ears only. I longed that they would talk or sing back just for me. And they did. They came to me in dreams and gave me visions and flew me around the world upon their backs, showing me beauty and wonder, and death and suffering too. In my young adult hood the birds usually came to me as an albatross, who would land next to me on some island paradise, and hold me in his or her arms. I'd cry and be comforted by this great beauty that knew my worth and who watched the world from up high and knew the worth of all my kind. It is only in recent years that I have become the albatross in my dreams and on days full of grace, I am also the fish or some detritus scattered over the ocean's surface upon which I feed.
Which nonhuman form do you long to be? Why?
I think I'd like to be the sun. Those humans on Earth worship me. They take pictures of me, particularly when they are about to turn into my rays in their morning or away from my rays in the evening. Some think that I am the center of the universe while I'm only the center of their solar system. The other stars are my friends. I can warm up not just humans but all of the other earthly creatures. I bring out the snakes, lizzards, turtles, and alligators to sun bathe. My energy keeps plants growing even in the lakes, rivers, and oceans. The plants feed the inhabitants on earth. It is my energy that creates their weather. Sometimes I send up a flare and effect their stock market. Imagine that!
ReplyDeleteI like to play with the planets and their moons. Sometimes I hide behind one of them and humans call it an eclipse. If I give a little extra pull the tides rise. When I heat the waters with a little extra energy I make hurricanes.
Humans are sending satellites outside of earth's atmosphere, that use my energy to run their communication systems. Their space station couldn't exist without my energy. I know someday I will die, but in the meantime I will continue to enjoy my friends and playing with my planets, moons, and satellites. It is fun to watch humans and other creatures which I energize. A few humans who worship me have figured out my importance to their microcosm of the universe.
WONDERFUL NATURE IMAGINATION
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