wildling in captivity

 
it blows my mind sometimes
the vastness of a soul
& how much it contains
a universe in a fragile shell
like an egg carrying life
so easily destroyed
I've consigned mine to nature
a connection deeper than I can express
the one space in which I fit...
...with all my imperfections & scars
it's so hard to find belonging elsewhere
all those beautiful faces & bodies
all toned & painted
I...
...am a craggy surface stone
beauty only found upon opening
& I look at trees with their gnarly knotted bark
twisting trunks & rugged branches
rivers raging & gentle streams
forest creatures going silent whenever danger approaches
it speaks to me
...in the tongue of ancients
& I know...
...I'm home
this battered spirit within me
given into my safekeeping
I return it to its rightful place as often as I can
always seeking to heal from the damage life has inflicted
because humans are most inhumane
the cruelty done is deep & profane
but I think of the rock dropped into a river
where tumultuous currents batter it's rugged being
& how beautifully polished it will become
like the pebbles daddy used to run through the tumbler
making them shiny & new
I want to be where I belong...
...in the arms of Mother Nature
soothing my soul in her presence
hoping to one day reintegrate
releasing it back into the wilds
knowing it's strong enough...
...to survive on its own