BRUCE

BRUCE     wood sculpture by Candace Knapp
74 inches  x 15 inches  x 15 inches,   Photo Bjorn Andren  
 
BRUCE

This morning when first light sliced the horizon
and distant hills were covered in white mist,
my own heart spoke to me,
“go home...”
and so I found the familiar trail, forest in shades of hazy green,
sound of my own feet on wet leaves, spider webs white with due.
On I went to the clearing where I was born.
Here the ancients stretch their heavy arms to the sky
and peace hangs in the air like a perfume.
The call of a lone crow pierced the silence.
I waited for the sun to come and warm my back,
ate a few tender green leaves and tart purple berries.
Two squirrels chased each other round my feet,
a lizard ran up a tree and the bird call symphony began.
There were soooo many tasty things to eat !
I was just nosing through the leaves for some mushrooms,
bees humming around my head,
when I felt something smooth and hard just beneath the surface.
I pulled it up with my teeth.
It was a long white bone, from a leg I guess.
In fact, it was about the size of my leg bone.
Now my kind , we are herd animals. We are not meant to live alone as I do.
Just then I was feeling a little sorry for myself and this bone came up as an answer.
It must have belonged to one of my ancestors.
It was comforting, sounds strange I know.
Anyway, I started thinking about the majestic Mother Nature
who is taking such good care of me.
I think it is because I call her “mom”.