measuring the pace of sunlight
as it collapses spent upon the hills
trickling into the crevasses and creases of the earth,
tickling and groping,
a lover's caress.
rolling along, celestial cattle,
with the birthing completed,
the clouds are moving on,
leaving their liquid young
to the lush black earth.
here the hungry one comes
in search of meals for body and soul
senses outstretched as raptor's wings
to sweep the terrain clean of prey.
laughing winds take hold of his hair,
tugging and tossing,
playfully pernicious.
grasses hiss and wave against the knees,
a field of verdant serpents
threatening the breeze with
shaking seed-rattles,
split-blade tongues flicking.
the walking hawk angles itself,
circling each sedge-grass tuft,
until finally it spots its prey:
tiny buff bells, wind-rung
but inaudible.
stooping,
great talons stretch wide
to scoop up the bells.
with great care,
he stashes his catch in a paper bag
and writes a secret code of naming:
"P. semilanceata -- sedgegrass"
before continuing on
to the edge of the forest
to seek an audience with Prince Augustus,
or, should we be so lucky,
King Boletus himself.
sun-shot arrows fall to earth,
their golden shafts piercing the gloom
beneath the canopy.
sliding through this primal stillness,
stepping on rocks to spare the moss,
mahogany duff forms promising hills ahead.
with a stick, digging gently,
the fungal fruit are revealed.
glistening and proud,
the seeker stands in quiet audience
before bowing with respect
to harvest the lavender Russula bounty.
a few more steps reveals a troop of milk caps
marching in serried step across the forest floor
in their rusty helmet-caps,
hundreds of tiny soldiers firing spores like bullets:
an invisible genetic war.
he collects several
for dessert.
Author notes
This is mostly free-written but with a little more editing and re-arranging than a pure FW. I love mushroom hunting but it's been a long, long time since I got to. I started when I was eight or nine. Many of my happiest childhood memories are of mushroom hunting. My username is intoothandclaw.
In a list
A contest entry
- a place between the cocoons and wrinkles. by bird-mad girl.
1750 points, ended November 19, 2008, 15 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Eyes on me... by Randomly Beautiful.
400 points, ended October 26, 2008, 8 entries
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460 points, ended October 29, 2008, 17 entries
Bronze trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Happy Childhood Memories. by mystic-angel.
1350 points, ended November 23, 2008, 19 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Win $50, and be published in the next Allpoetry Book! by Kevin.
400 points, ended January 15, 77 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Images of Nature by apoeticinjustice.
900 points, ended February 7, 26 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - want me to indulge you? okay, I will. by broken-colours.
1750 points, ended October 13, 149 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Reflections... by azlyn.
503 points, ended March 31, 30 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
1 - 10 of 10
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Lovely and so very peaceful. This is a journey of serenity...I enjoyed it very much.
Az
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Absolutely fantastic written like a poetic genius.Loved the picture you painted with your words,odd and intriguing
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Excellent imagery throughout this piece...a very creative and original look at mushroom hunting and nature in general. Very good!
Rory
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"a field of verdant serpents
threatening the breeze with
shaking seed-rattles,
split-blade tongues flicking"
These are my favorite lines here. I enjoyed the imagery of it a lot. Creatively, you successfullyy pulled off the sense of a snake. Great lines here.
AsIThink...
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'rolling along, celestial cattle,
with the birthing completed,
the clouds are moving on,
leaving their liquid young
to the lush black earth.'
....one of the most unique descriptions of rain I've ever read. I love it. -
Wow this is good! Very descriptive with amazing imagery, I felt as if I were on the search with you! A great memory. Thanks for your entry and good luck.
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i didnt think raptors were supposed to have wings lol? OMG!!!!!!!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!!! hats the cutest funniest coolest thing!!!
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"Raptor" also means a bird of prey like an eagle or hawk.
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Very unique. I love the way you used the word spent in this piece. I use it that way often myself. Also the word birthing or any variation thereof. Thank you for this peek into something new.
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"leaving their liquid young"
I loved that description of rain. It made me think of strange, aqua space alien babies.
I love in the fourth stanza the way you described the the wind and grass. The wind is a jokester while the grass is like snakes flicking their tongues at the air. That was really beautiful looking.
You wrote about mushroom hunting so lyrical and colorful (but I'd expect that given the topic.) Your descritpions of nature were strange in this gorgeous and grand way. The way you wrote about the wind, grass, sun, and mushrooms were unqiue and I've never seen them written about like that before.
I'm going to have to add you as a favorite.
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