Journey
For Ellie Hoovs' Unofficial Wonderland Poetry Prompts Challenge Day 7
Let me take you on a trip
And camp among the stars;
Branches fanned above us
As we lie beside our cars
And listen to the night sounds
And all that they unfold
With their hints of creatures skulking
And the hunger that they hold.
Listen to the crackling flame
Of wood as it reduces.
Squint askance as sparks they dance
From heat that fire produces.
We are out in nature's yard
In needles, stones and cloud,
Melting back to what we were:
A bestiary allowed.
Despite the trappings of our lives
We're animals once more-
Back to ground, gathered round
At peace, at Nature's core.
Relax and sink again
Inside the senses of your mind
And shun the weapons of the age
That want to make you blind -
A stunted version of yourself
A shrunken withered ball
Of fear wrapped up in cortisol
Designed to make you small.
The world expands before you
As you nestle under trees
And midnight black extends a hand
To put you at your ease.
The scent of mountains sleeping now
Weaves into nostrils wide;
Breathe in the ancient history
Of landforms by your side.
A loon calls out a mournful cry,
A shout-out from the lake
To reassure you not to rush -
Have all the time it takes
To reset, relax, readjust
And remember who you are.
Your journey's just beginning
As you lie among the stars.
*
You can read about Ellie's unofficial challenge here:
Links to other poems I have written for this challenge are here but you really ought to check out Ellie's too as well as those written by L.I.E. and Calvin London to name but two of the writers also participating:
About the Creator
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More stories from Rachel Deeming and writers in Poets and other communities.
Comments (12)
You’ve made me want to go camping in the great outdoors… so real. Love: “ camp among the stars; Branches fanned above us As we lie beside our cars And listen to the night sounds And all that they unfold With their hints of creatures skulking And the hunger that they hold.”
I used to go camping a lot and this took me right back to my last camping trip! I really want to go camping now!
You really know how to evoke the longing for night and stars in places where they still can be seen. I know you lived in Canada for a while, was this wonderful poem inspired by the Canadian night sky?
Gosh! I want to crawl right through my screen and into this wonderful scene you've painted. Sounds like my kind of journey
Now I'm ready for camping season!
Not me reading bestiary as beastiality 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Loved your poem!
Very nice, Rachel. You can almost smell the frost through your words.
Love the image of camping underneath the stars. Reminds me of backpacking in Australia and pitching up in the middle of nowhere and just staring at the sky. Thanks for bringing back happy memories Rachel. This was just perfect.
Ah, this takes me back to all the times we were out..., truly out, not just on a date or going somewhere, just out.
Nice. Was that first line a conscious homage to Depeche Mode? Or am I just assuming everyone shares my taste in music?
Well-wrought! Reminiscent of a Taoist parable!
This would be wonderful to hear recited while sitting round a campfire. I can feel the fire, smell the burning wood, and hear the loons. Sensory overload on this one. Excellent work, my friend.