I hesitated to add this poem to the Wildness blog, but decided that clear lines cannot always be drawn between the natural and human world, and that one of my goals is to blend the two worlds, to rediscover my animal nature. Therefore, I am adding a poem about the experience of birth as something that forces us to surrender to the power of nature, to let our human bodies turn to the animals that they are, to see the new life within us as an infinite part of nature. I am now over 8 months pregnant and looking forward to this experience!
Daughter, Not Yet Born
You are a sleeping bud,
curled close in deepwater think.
You are a spiral galaxy,
swirling in heartbeat hiccups.
Your kicks birth stars.
Head down, you're
slicked and ready
to rend the firmament
between my legs,
so I am finally,
thankfully,
broken open.
Copyright 2007, Laura Girardeau
Laura, what a gorgeous poem! I think that drawing a line between "our" world and the rest of nature is what's gotten us in trouble as a species. I prefer to see us all as members of the community of the land (a phrase I take from Aldo Leopold's writings), the community that includes all species and the landscapes where we live. So thanks for reminding us of our everyday relationship with the community of land and cosmos. And blessings to that daughter growing inside you - she's lucky in her parentage!
Susan
http://susanjtweit.com
http://communityoftheland.blogspot.com
Posted by: Susan J Tweit | December 14, 2007 at 10:42 AM