Bodhirose – The BeZine

White foam rides the churning
river and a Red-Shouldered Hawk
cries out as he drifts overhead;
a meadow vole takes cover.

In an ancient, towering pine,
lies an enormous aerie, home
to a Bald Eagle couple and their
two fledglings who take turns
flapping wildly, strengthening
their wings before take-off.

A feeding herd of White-Tailed
deer wander calm through the
open forest, several fawns
leap and kick in play and sometimes
bleat for their mothers when they
wander too far.

The armor-plated armadillo can be seen
snuffling through low brush and dirt
searching for grubs, worms and beetles.
Berries, nuts and seeds are the choice
of food for the Florida Scrub Jay seen
flitting through the low, spindly oaks,
and hiding in the scrub when feeling shy.
Their lives lived in extended-family colonies
helps assure them survival even while
their habitat is being threatened.

A dirt colored and plain patterned
garter snakes through the underbrush
before coming to rest in a sunny patch
on the forest’s floor…taking time to
absorb some warmth before moving on;
a gopher turtle stirs from his day’s nap.

All the animals hear when the humans
approach and they watch with
curiosity and then fear as monstrous
machines can be heard revving their
engines preparing once again for
their encroaching.

– Gayle Walters Rose

GAYLE WALTERS ROSE (Bodhirose’s Blog) ~ has contributed to The Bardo Group blog several times since its founding in 2011. Gayle has actively blogged since 2010, writing about family life, things of the spirit, and her ashram-life experiences. In this relatively short time, her sincerity and authenticity has earned her quite a large and loyal following. Gayle is a regular participant in d’Verse Poets Pub. This poem was written in response to Victoria’s Wilderness Week writing prompt posted on Wednesday.

THE LOVELORN PEACOCK

Gayle Walters Rose (BodhiRose)

Gayle’s cute story of the unrequited love of a bird of a different feather … (Editor’s Note)

In the summer of 1971, I moved from my hometown of Orlando (Florida, U.S.A.) down to Miami to help start an ashram there. A friend and I were part of an organization that taught yoga, meditation, vegetarian diet and a lifestyle of disciplined, spiritual practice. He had been dispatched from the main center in Orlando, some months prior to start yoga classes down south and had showed up at my door one day to ask if I would move there and help him. I thought to myself, sure – why not – it would be an adventure.

He had rented a small house in Coconut Grove on shady, coconut tree-lined Kumquat Street and I took up residence in one of the tiny bedrooms when I arrived. Right down the street was another communal compound of people making a home together in a large, two story house.

It was a cool time to live in Miami. There were neat little head shops, and many hippie-type stores that sold candles, incense, clothing, books, etc. and some great health food stores and even restaurants that were completely vegetarian. It was all new to me but I was in my element!

Before long we had gatherings of like-minded people coming nightly for our yoga classes and life was humming along.

Part of the charming quaintness of Coconut Grove was the community of peacocks that freely roamed the neighborhood streets. You could hear their ear-piercing calls from blocks away but I never tired of spotting them walking down the road, perched in a tree, or up on someone’s roof.

One male peacock in particular started frequenting the small, enclosed courtyard in front of our house. Soon he started showing an unhealthy interest in me. Whenever I would arrive or depart the house, and if he happened to be outside, he would approach me with his feathers spectacularly displayed and “shake” them at me. This bird was courting me! With his feathers held straight up, he was just about as tall as I was. Whatever direction I took, he would get face-to-face with me and “shimmy”. I became a bit intimidated by this…yikes! He was extremely insistent:I took to running past him to get in or out of the house but, after some time, I believe he finally realized that his love for me would remain unrequited and he moved on elsewhere to find a more suitable partner.

Photo credit ~ morgueFile

Tag: Bodhirose

The Wild

White foam rides the churning
river and a Red-Shouldered Hawk
cries out as he drifts overhead;
a meadow vole takes cover.

In an ancient, towering pine,
lies an enormous aerie, home
to a Bald Eagle couple and their
two fledglings who take turns
flapping wildly, strengthening
their wings before take-off.

A feeding herd of White-Tailed
deer wander calm through the
open forest, several fawns
leap and kick in play and sometimes
bleat for their mothers when they
wander too far.

A dirt colored and plain patterned
garter snakes through the underbrush
before coming to rest in a sunny patch
on the forest’s floor…taking time to
absorb some warmth before moving on;
a gopher turtle stirs from his day’s nap.

All the animals hear when the humans
approach and they watch with
curiosity and then fear as monstrous
machines can be heard revving their
engines preparing once again for
their encroaching.

THE LOVELORN PEACOCK

White foam rides the churning river and a Red-Shouldered Hawk cries out as he drifts overhead; a meadow vole takes cover.

In an ancient, towering pine, lies an enormous aerie, home to a Bald Eagle couple and their two fledglings who take turns flapping wildly, strengthening their wings before take-off.

A feeding herd of White-Tailed deer wander calm through the open forest, several fawns leap and kick in play and sometimes bleat for their mothers when they wander too far.

A dirt colored and plain patterned garter snakes through the underbrush before coming to rest in a sunny patch on the forest’s floor…taking time to absorb some warmth before moving on; a gopher turtle stirs from his day’s nap.

All the animals hear when the humans approach and they watch with curiosity and then fear as monstrous machines can be heard revving their engines preparing once again for their encroaching.

Thank you for sharing the beauty and inspiration:

Like this:

Thank you for sharing the beauty and inspiration:

Like this:

White foam rides the churning
river and a Red-Shouldered Hawk
cries out as he drifts overhead;
a meadow vole takes cover.

In an ancient, towering pine,
lies an enormous aerie, home
to a Bald Eagle couple and their
two fledglings who take turns
flapping wildly, strengthening
their wings before take-off.

A feeding herd of White-Tailed
deer wander calm through the
open forest, several fawns
leap and kick in play and sometimes
bleat for their mothers when they
wander too far.

A dirt colored and plain patterned
garter snakes through the underbrush
before coming to rest in a sunny patch
on the forest’s floor…taking time to
absorb some warmth before moving on;
a gopher turtle stirs from his day’s nap.

All the animals hear when the humans
approach and they watch with
curiosity and then fear as monstrous
machines can be heard revving their
engines preparing once again for
their encroaching.