OUTSIDE (a poem)

O U T S I D E                                        5/22/13               Welborn

I loved it out there

outside

on the hillsides

in the forests

among the trees

like one of them

alongside rivers

taking it all in

calming my mind

climbing mountains

following hawks across the sky

and tiny lizards on the rocks

quiet

except for the occasional sound

of the wind

moving

along the trail

moving

the blood through my heart

moving the worry

out of my mind

out

        of

             my

                     mind

nature

was (and still is)

my refuge

my solace

my temple, my shrine & church

no wonder (to me)

that Buddha found enlightenment

Outside

at the foot of a tree

so please

spare me the chaos of your cities

your hectic crowded streets

mired in confusion

your bright young faces

staring into glowing little screens

clutched in hands

everywhere

all these hurried events

don’t last

but when you get out

to nature

(what's left of it)

everything is timeless

it lives

and dies

and lives again

over

and over

the tree that falls

becomes

the new sapling

and it's that quality

that sustains me

when

nothing

else

will.