The fox in her den does not involve herself
in human games, world domination,
current events certain humans consider
important, no, her expert nose is not trained
on our inane ramblings, mental meanderings,
baseless strivings, she is unconcerned
with naught but survival, an animal as are we,
but closer to the source, to the ground
of the earth, feeling the wafting breeze
as it blows through her thick fur,
observing now the stars rising overhead
signaling a time void of human presence
in her domain, nearly safe to venture out
and she, as so many other wild things,
seems resigned to being a creature of night;
And then there is coyote, true to her pack,
protecting her young as do most feral things,
pads along silent and unnoticed until prompted
to express those eerie sounds which cause humans
to believe there are far more in the tribe
than might be; despised by ranchers
who will shoot on sight, coyotes are hunters
by day and howlers by night;
Yet on the level of little things, the Stellar Jays
shake their coiffed heads and move in quick spurts,
whether to discourage possible predators
or simply because they move this way (and who
among us can know) while the magpies double up
on the cedar boughs this morning back to back,
for it is cold near to zero, and the juncos look
especially fat, though it is only that they are fluffed
out for maximum insulation, and they all flock
to the feeder we keep full during the worst of winter,
though they would likely not all die off if we ceased
to feed them, yet the rich mix we blend by hand
helps them survive and thrive until breeding season,
boosting their numbers appreciably, as can be noted
from season to season;
Still you may wonder how we live this far from town,
up in the forest and away from the madness of city life,
yet it is what we know, and how we are able to exist
amidst the changes and fluctuations of climate
and the human response to the opportunity to evolve
beyond a materialistic focus in these troubled times.
junco
coyote
Stellar Jay
Another gorgeous perspective of your life and attitudes!
Thank you, Paul! At first I read, ‘altitudes!’ As we live at 7500 ft elevation … Blessings to you and Jean in this lunar new year of the rabbit! 😀 xo
Thanks Bela. Puts us at 800 feet way below you. But greetings to you and your family in this New Year. Wonder what it will bring? Hopefully nothing serious or misfortunate.
Thanks for your kind thoughts, Paul. Give the dogs a hug and kiss from me! As for what is to be in the new year, I suspect more shake ups, so good to be stable in our hearts and not subject to the fears of the masses. Take good care! xoxo
Most animals and birds have got Life right… They don’t make their lives complicated or worry… We can learn such a lot just by observation..
And when we humans take a step back to make our own lives more simplistic, embracing Mother Nature in her everyday rawness and beauty, we find ourselves beginning to Let Go of the struggles we were programmed into thinking we should keep.. Like Keeping up with the ‘Jone’s’ to have that latest gadget, etc…
Because we grow and expand, so much more, when we live in the NOW like our Animal and Bird kingdoms do..
Lovely post Bela, and photos… Sending warm hugs this winters day.. <3
Thanks, my friend. I agree, observing nature is key – for me, it’s sanity. I cannot imagine any other life. We just returned from taking the dogs up the hill behind our house. We’ve been pruning and burning since we’ve lived here these 2+ years. It’s looking like a park! And a great improvement for fire season – not dead limbs hanging from trees in profusion, nor dry limbs stacked everywhere. It’s a real thing, as the Midnight Fire was one of the fiercest last spring (our spring is DRY here), and we were nearly evacuated. So this makes things much better that way.
And so we go on, into whatever the day brings, and some days it’s the forest. Other days it’s sitting by the fire catching up with online business.
Peace and love to you with happy wishes for the lunar new year! xoxo
Bela, where is home now?
Northern New Mexico, Paul. For now! xo
A most necessary project to clear and protect while preserving .. And like wise Bela…. EnJOY your New Year, as you calve your live in tune with Mother…
Sending Mega Hugs over the ocean.. <3 <3 <3
Same here, sweet. xoxo
<3 <3
Lovely poem, Bela. I can ‘see’ your neighbors clearly. 🙂 We both choose nature over manmade for the same reasons. <3
Good for us, eh? Thanks, Eliza. 🙏💕
Absolutely! 🙂 Couldn’t be happy any other way.
I hear ya!
So much to observe and learn from the non-humans among us…(K)
Seriously! <3
A call to nature and a new embracing of what there is right here. In your geography.
And embracing so much more. The local is part of the whole and intertwined with the global. Your words create a tapestry for everyone to embrace and come to understand. 💕💐🙏🏻
Thanks so much, Val. Yes! Aquarian Age ideals, always. We are a global community. Blessings! 🙏💓
A very thoughtful poem with many nuanced layers, Bela. Love how you talked about the different animals and creatures and they – we – are all a part of cycles and the bigger cycles. You have an astute perspective on life living away from the metropolis, observing the world as is from afar and the true beauty that lies around you. There is so much potential to evolve and become a much more connected society where we competition and speed isn’t always the most important thing. It’s something we can all do bit by bit, changing patterns, habits and thoughts one step at a time just like how the wildlife take winter one step at a time. Hope you are doing well, Bela 😊💕
Thanks, Mabel. As always, you offer such a beautiful perspective. I think we really must make this collective shift, if humanity is to continue on this planet. I really do. And you summarized it so very well. Thanks again, my friend! 🎄🦋🐶💓
Yes, we do need a collective shift to move toward a sustainable world, and one that is more accepting of each other. Hope you are doing well and letting nature and the universe guide you ✨😊💕
Hi Bela,
Such a piece can only see its expression if the writer lives in the moment and , to use your own words, remains unconcerned with ‘……our inane ramblings, mental meanderings, baseless strivings’.
So I suppose it is indeed possible for humanity to make the much-needed shift to align ourselves with the wondrous nature all around us, if only we chose to look. The question that comes to mind is, what is that needed which would make us live more and more in the moment?
As always, your post made me pause and think.
Shakti
Thank you, Shakti, for your kind comments. I think what is needed to live more in the moment depends on the baseline motivations of each person: head, heart, or gut, in the language of the Enneagram. Of course we all possess all three, though this points to the primary motivation. The head types will need some sort of practice, be it meditation or what have you. The heart types can do it, if they can realize their downfall in needing to please others and simply live with their own expectations. Gut types must distinguish passion from reason, though I do believe it is easier for them than the other types, as they are by nature more in the moment (and reactive, if unconscious). Perhaps this helps clarify? Thanks again for your interest. 🙏🏽❤️