Breathe

Mysterious new things move
to the cadence of nature’s drum,
the cry of destruction loudly rings;
Aloha aina, care for the land,
it matters not where we choose
to root ourselves, the mandate
is the same: we must return
to the Garden, discover innocence 
lost when simple was subsumed
by life so complex that some days
I wonder how long I can manage it,
threads frayed, threatening to unravel;

Yet when I walk out into messy,
immerse my hands in soil, work
at amending what has been stripped
by too many years of consumption
without consideration, my spirit calms,
settles into what is there in front of me,
head not spiraling out into orbit, here.
And now, now, now;

This is what we are given, this moment,
breathing in, then out, listen to the
heartbeat of nature; observe
with a raptor’s eyes all that surrounds,
notice the little things, the seemingly
unimportant, purpose-less details
in a world fixed on production,
and learn; for we might well need
that sort of knowledge in the days
to come.

Photo taken on our ranch. This Redtail Hawk watches over us,
observes everything we do. Pretty cool.

26 thoughts on “Breathe

  1. Ahh Bela, wonderful words all in order so that others are able
    to “dig” into and awaken to the lost connection that we all long.

    “Consumption without consideration” covers it and will bury us
    for our foresight seems lacking of our hindsight.

    Oh well, guess Tubularsock will have to go out and buy another car.

    Peace be with you and the Redtail Hawk. (Great shot.)

    Liked by 4 people

    1. HAHAHAHA!!! Omg. Yes. Go out and buy, buy, buy. Gosh.

      And the Redtail! She is amazing! Perched in a nearby Ponderosa long enough for me to go in the house for my Canon with a zoom, figure it all out (again) and take several shots of her. Posed nicely for all of them, too! And then i crept one step closer than was comfortable, and off she went. The wingspan at that close range was breathtaking!

      Thanks, Tube. ❤

      Liked by 3 people

  2. Your poem is beautiful and important
    in a world that has been in danger of
    Losing itself in false glitter and need for more.
    You show the peace in returning to nature.
    To stick your fingers in the soil and
    to plant, be part. and be at peace with ourselves and nature. Hear the heartbeats.

    miriam

    Liked by 4 people

  3. I have listened to the heartbeat of Nature many times Bela, each cadence is different and calming. Thank you for the reminders… ‘consideration’ is often brushed aside in this world of self-accomplishment. Stay blessed.

    Liked by 3 people

  4. .”…….It is written from the desert
    To the mountains they shall lead us
    By the hand and by the heart
    They will comfort you and me

    In their innocence and trusting
    They will teach us to be free

    For the children and the flowers
    Are my sisters and my brothers
    Their laughter and their loveliness
    Could clear a cloudy day……”

    John Denver

    What made these lines spring to mind when I sat reading your verse Bela?

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I could not say, Shakti. However consider the quote I posted to Instagram today, along with my photo of a silverback gorilla at the Albuquerque, NM zoo: “We patronize the animals for their incompleteness, for the tragic fate of having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein do we err. For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours, they are more finished and complete, gifted with an extension of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings, they are other Nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellows [amidst] the splendour and travail of the earth.”
      (Henry Beston)

      That is what your question precipitated in the way of a reply. I think in order for the sort of change to take place on earth that would assure that life continues here, we must enlarge our perceptions so that we might exist companionably with what was given by Creation, itself. Not just the human-centric world created with our wily imaginations.

      Peace, friend. 🙏🌏❤️

      Like

  5. What a wonderful guardian! To do the simple tasks that connect us with life is important to our sanity. And if enough of us begin, perhaps it can tip the world away from its destructive path. (K)

    Liked by 2 people

  6. I love this message and your words Bela. An invitation for us all to feel that connection and attend to our earth and nature…. No matter where we land. Great red tail hawk photo!!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Hawk: i know! She was the perfect subject! Thank you! Thanks for appreciating the message. I think it’s the most urgent message humans need right now on earth. Vandana Shiva is wonderful to listen to, as well. 🙏💞

      Liked by 3 people

  7. I don’t think we get to enjoy nature as much as we ought. My favorite place is on the water, as far from people as I can get. Watching the eagle and the osprey, the egret and the blue heron, the fish rolling with a splash, the solitude. I could live there, if it weren’t for storms and biting flies, oh… and lack of hot showers. 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Haha, yes. Wilderness has its drawbacks for us modern humans. I miss all the things you speak of, as I was always on an ocean on one coast or the other or in the middle of the ocean in the case of Hawaii! Yet we are discovering magic in this desert landscape, and we do have streams and rivers. And herons and egrets! And cattle and wild horses and elk and deer and oh, so many birds!

      Thanks for reading, Shell, I always appreciate hearing from you. 🙏💜

      Like

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