Shoal Soul

Ok, so this is actually yesterday's poem---written at about 10 last night when I remembered NaPoWriMo only when I was almost asleep. A close save, but I made it---wouldn't do to lose it on the fifth day, after all.

Shoal Soul

What’s a soul? It’s academic, but for such a useful metaphor
the stories don’t give us much to visualize.
One day, after walking in the woods I saw
my essence as a school of tiny golden-silver fish,
their sides streaked all crimson and purple,
gleaming and shy, fast-moving.

Would you like me closer?
You could offer small temptations,
brush carefully through the water, sharing
still cover, a place to rest and congregate.
I would gather ‘round you, nibble lightly
flashing gold and purple as I moved.

So Many Scorpions!

One vulture floats above;
it is spring, the earth is black and moist
snakes and snails, salamanders, slugs and scorpions
rest under almost every bit of fallen wood
and all the small things seethe with joy and life.


***

Woo, if any day deserved a poem, it was yesterday; they probably chose April as NaPo month for a reason. Kyn and I walked to Badger Hill (so the greater majority of a day) and turned up all sorts of wood and rocks (carefully) looking for wildlife, which we found in great abundance. We found no less than three scorpions, only one of whom was the same individual I found a couple of days ago, as well as a different rubber boa, the same baby gopher snake, and all kinds of salamanders, centipedes, millipedes, wood ants, etc. It was grand.



( pretty collie dogs and interesting wildlife found in the debris )

Big Hairy Spiders

If you aren't sick of posts from me yet, here are a couple of photos of my pet tarantulas. Cleaning Chanterelle's box gave me a rare unimpeded look at her.

( if spiders bother you, please don't click this. )