Calm Calm

The dry leaves chime, still clinging to the broken branch

“It was once my time and it still is”

“The mission has changed and it will change”

Photosynthesizer, shade bringer, soil maker.

Calm Calm

The dry leaves chime, as they float to the ground

“And there will be loss along the way.”

“and there will be places we return to that will not look the same. Not ever”.

“The magic we knew, it’s different now”

Calm Calm

The damp leaves chant, softened by their earthly landing

Dirt, skunk musk, soil

Decay, cycle, renew

The ground knows what to do with pain

Its okay to be tired, you probably need to rest

Let the earth hold you for this work that you do

Let her let you in

Circle

I am going to lie down now

Less alone then I feel. Golden grass hair.

Green fingers rustle underneath, insistent life

Soon enough the buds always reach their breaking point and burst forth- sweet, diligent and new.

Soon enough we too will emerge from our isolation, and greet the world and each other a little closer

All in good time. All in good time.

Calm Calm

7 magpies steady themselves on the bare arms of poplar.

Dropping their long tails, a ballast, gleaming teal in the muffled sun.

I sit, back to back with a tree, and feel my own balance and breath return.

My hand sticks to the red drips, amber healing, sap bleeding from the woodpecker wounds, openings.

The earth croons.

Calm Calm.

She says to me.

It’s okay to be sad, you need to grieve

Honour it.

Allow your tears.

Let me hold you

I kneel at the altar of the first crocus, they seem abundant this year.

Each bloom a bold celebration buffeted by the prairie wind - a reminder I did not know I needed

Braving the start of spring, in her soft warm gown, I feel her hand in hand with mycorrhiza. Symbiot. Circle Cycle

Prairie, Parkland

Let me in,

Shield Boreal

Calm

Foothill, Rocky

Calm

Inside subalpine sedimentary crack, I take shelter from the wind,

Above me, Whitebark Pine and mountain heather hold the rocky talus slope in place, a hard earned ecosystem on an inch of dirt.

Earthly tether to rock bottom

Let her let me enter

Sun centered

Circle

Cycle

Calm Calm

The green leaves sing, bursting from their broken bud

“Decay, cycle, renew.”

“Let me hold you”

Calm Calm

Calm