Breath held, heart pumping
Adrenaline coursing through me
Eyes wide, ears cocked,
Familiar weight pressed against my shoulder,
A flash of white, the classic six point rack,
Gently squeeze the trigger,
BANG!
The fatal shot, a few staggering steps,
The woods are filled with quiet intensity,
Excitement rises, relief is imminent,
My purpose is fulfilled.
Unmasked footsteps crunch down the bank
While shaking hands grasp natures footholds,
Of rocks and branches.
The animal awaits, and pride warms the chill of the crisp autumn air,
A smile parts my lips,
A thousand years has past, yet the feeling remains the same,
Independence is achieved, success is the reward.
Out here there is no vertigo of ignorant society,
The sky is free of silver intruders, who stain her canvas black,
Instead of smoke and smog, pine commands the senses.
Out here is where I belong, where I readily submit to my natural calling,
I look down,
My gratitude and humility for what Gaia* has created is overwhelming,
Whispering quiet thanks, I am indeed grateful,
Not only for what is provided but for what I am able to accomplish.
However, as I return to the fields of concrete and forests of brick,
Where the song of finches and the cry of hawks
Drowned by the shrieks of self-righteous city dwellers,
My purpose is erased, its importance forgotten,
An inquiry about my weekend, the word is barely issued,
When it is forced back down my throat with eyes that burn,
And mouths that curl in disgust, hunt?.... kill?.... animals?
I am as confused as they are,
Minds are closed while teeth gnash through the cholesterol clogging,
Steroid pumped atrocities that silently mock me with a yellow M,
Which is best?
A life of fenceless freedom, or one of close confinements and fear?
Is it better to revel in the satisfaction of hard work,
And be true to primal spirit and tradition?
Or to cower behind the conspiring propaganda,
That feeds us guilt and remorse through the cute,
Brown eyed anthropomorphism called Bambi?
And those who fill their stomachs with green instead of red,
Should not they at least appreciate this intimate connection with nature?
Instead of firing accusations,
That would rival the swiftness of an arrow or the impact of a bullet.
â†â€
Denica ©
*Gaia: is the primal Greek goddess personifying the Earth.
They have to "stand and deliver" their poems in class, and I can tell by the look in her eye that she will enjoy it.
RC
