Nature
Polish the Tortoise
Polish the tortoise
Amble in love.
Emerge out of the blue
On four legs and tail too,
Step slowly as forgiver,
Father, fitter, lover,
By balance my day foretold
On my back the world,
Daily a doable walk
In search of the lettuce stalk,
Oft idle, to rest, to turn
To stop, to learn:
From hare who forgiveness begs
Ears between his legs,
From healing in hearing
The jackal in the garden
Immediately pull in
Safe in my skin
And talk from inside
‘Til safe to confide
My inner eagle eye
Sees from on high
A compass like creature
Pointing to a green future
Resting in love’s embrace
In sleep there’s no race
At night bathe in calm
Or sleep in her arms
To awake anew
Again out of the blue
Polish the tortoise
Amble in love
Theme for 2010
Jamie Coats February 2010
Willow Tree Man
Let your rootedness shine!
If an angel flew overhead
I’d reach up and catch her
By her Achilles heal
And wonder if I’d make her crash to earth,
Spraining or breaking an ankle, maybe worse,
Or if I could catch her and
Lower her gently for her foot
To grace the earth.
Let your rootedness shine!
If she asked me to dance I’d say, “Yes!”
I’d twirl quite beautifully on the spot
And bend, wave and move with my feet
Not leaving a foot square.
She says, “Run, jump,
Waltz across the floor.”
I smile, “I can only dance as the tree rooted
By the river of love in my life.
Let your rootedness shine!
My roots are fixed
And my body is supple
And through the seasons I will flow
Not moving from this place
The river I am near is of love,
Love for my child
Love of my neighbor
Love of the work of our saviour
Let your rootedness shine!
Where would we be
Without the trees
Who stand as testament
To the strength of life?
For sex they send seeds through the air
Pollen for bees to spread afar.
Fruit for birds to eat
And winged seeds twirling everywhere.
Let your rootedness shine!
But once the seed is in the caring earth
And feels the water ignite
The inner strength of life
It is in one spot that the tree stands upright.
I came as a seed.
I didn’t know that
I so wanted to become
The willow tree man.
Let your rootedness shine!
Angel, is it your time
To feel the earth?
To let the water of love
Ignite a strength of life in you?
That will root you
To a spot next to mine
And let our branches
For our life seasons, entwine?
Let your rootedness shine!
Jamie Coats June 2008