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Seeing the Forest

Listen to the rustle of the foliage in the forest,
_And note the motes of pollen floating there;
Muscle headlong through the brush and never feel embarrassed
_If you get whiplashed on your derriѐre.

Spurs are meant to drive you on to where your eyes are looking,
_Although you still insist they rub you raw.
Pay attention when the brutal Natural World is talking,
_Unless advised against it by your squaw.

When it’s possible, elect the path that brings adventure,
_But never disregard the commonplace.
Palisades of Heaven are immutably concentric,
_And camping in their shade is no disgrace.

Waging war, by most accounts, is very unproductive
_And only leads to unforgiven debt.
Choosing sides is often arbitrarily selective
_And doesn’t sanctify your cold-pressed sweat.

Forests, on the other hand, engender perfect fairness,
_Where things appear exactly as they are;
There we see good evidence for salutary progress,
_As punctures and abrasions leave no scar.

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C.B. Anderson was the longtime gardener for the PBS television series, The Victory Garden.  Hundreds of his poems have appeared in scores of print and electronic journals out of North America, Great Britain, Ireland, Austria, Australia and India.  His collection, Mortal Soup and the Blue Yonder was published in 2013 by White Violet Press.

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2 Responses

  1. Mark Stellinga

    You actually have ‘SCARS’ from camping episodes, C. B.!?!?!? My wife and I were just beginning to organize our first ever outdoor adventure in a huge forest preserve in northern Wisconsin. When we visit our local Sporting Goods store to buy the tent, thanks to you sharing the various pitfalls of your apparently extensive camping experiences, we’ll be sure to grab some heavy duty, upper & lower body armor. We greatly appreciate the tip! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Roy Eugene Peterson

    I had my fill of camping while in the army. Then my wife would ask, “Why don’t we ever go camping?” One problem with military outdoor adventures; the “bears” sometime shoot at you.

    Reply

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