~O~

frOm mAmArOOt:

pOOp
sOw {seeds Of} lOve
wOrking tOgether
cOmunication
cOOperation
cOnnection
*jOy*

yes, that's right...it all began with pOOp
i awOke abruptly this mOrning
to M. standing Over me
wincing and gagging
his shirt held firmly Over his face
i believe his exact wOrds were
{and this is what wOke me up}
dude...i can't dO it

when my sweet man
begins a statement like that
there's Only One thing it cOuld be
pOOp
puppy pOOp

this was arOund
4:30 this mOrning

sO

i gOt Out Of bed
and tOgether
we began the prOcess
of cleaning pOOp

initially
i was irritated
at nOt Only
waking up at 4:30 a.m.

but tO clean pOOp

puppy pOOp

when the jOb
was finally finished
i thOught briefly
abOut returning to my slumber
but then
i figured
i was already up

sO

i created a plate Of fresh fruits
veggies
cheeses
bread & butter w/cinnamOn
sO the kids may
break their fasts
{they had awOken amidst all the chaOs}
they spread Out blankets
next to the bed
where M. cOuld relax
after lOng hOurs On the jOb



i came dOwnstairs
stretched my bOdy
and walked
Out the dOOr
tO the sOund
Of M.'s vOice
reading the stOry
Of quillwOrker
tO his preciOus children

here are sOme
bits of jOy
i fOund
as i walked
briskly

mOving my bOdy

mOving my chi

as i walked
up the driveway
i fOund
jOy
playing peek-a-bOO
with sun



as i walked
thrOugh
the chilly mOrning air
i watched
as sun mOved
higher and higher
casting his radiant glOw
Over a beautiful canOpy
Of green






what did i smell?
the intermingling
Of death
and life

the dank, musty scent
Of dead trees
and rOtting leaves

the sweet smell
Of lilacs in full blOOm



*jOy*

as i cOntinued
dOwn the dusty rOad
hOpping Over puddles
watching the dOgs
run and tumble

sun sparkeld thrOugh
birch
aspen
spruce
alder
willow

beckOning my attention

my reverence



and i basked
in his warmth

his light

his dazzling beauty

and i fOund mOments
of pure *jOy*
that stOpped time



and it wasn't all nature's beauty
that caught my eye

fOr as i strOde past
an Old lOader
i fOund jOy
thinking abOut
hOw LiTtLe*bEaR
finds sO much jOy
each time we pass by
this very spOt



i fOund jOy
when i picked up
this can
and stuffed it in my pOcket
withOut judgement
Of the persOn who left it behind
just the hOnOr i felt
having the priveledge
tO act
as a keeper of earth



and this sign
became symbOl

the message
was less abOut
the curve
of the road

and mOre abOut
the curve within

the circle Of life



we all cOme
frOm the mOther
and to her
we shall return



i cast my eyes dOwnward
and fOr a mOment
i was reminded
Of the darkness

Of the balance

between

day and night
light and shadOw
jOy and anguish



and hOw
it is all
inter~cOnnected
inter~related
inter~twined

i lOOked arOund
i inhaled deeply
i held that breath
within my cOre

i walked

my feet
pOunding Out the beat
of my heart

the rhythm

the pulse

Of life




and i am One with it

with every step
with each turn
mOving
ebbing
flOwing
be ing

and i have cOme
full circle

and nOw i am hOme

{and it all began with pOOp}