Photo by Catt Liu
This morning I’m awakened
by a discussion outside my window
between a wild turkey and a crow.
It seems a friendly exchange,
even when decibels are raised.
In the background a thrasher chants
a calming song, her part
to help them keep things
on the light side.
This is my favorite way
to wake from dreams,
nature pulling gently
at the thread connecting me
to that other realm.
I consider myself blessed
to live surrounded by wild things—
deer who recognize
my lack of malice, scattered temples
of green-leaved trees,
birds too numerous to count the kinds,
the heightened vibrancy of days
lived side by side.
Editor’s Note: “Nature Pulling Gently” was first published by Odyssey Magazine, South Africa.