"My Nature Blind", by Vernon R.J. Schmid

My Nature Blind

I stood,

in a dream,

amidst a vast mountain meadow.

Earth's creations, by design,

were living unaged

by time.

What a splendour to behold

when Life's at it's prime!

Beckoning,

waving in the grass

in all rainbow colours

were multitudes of flowers.

I fell,

dizzy from their sweet-scented powers.

My heart: it rejoiced

and cried for many hours.

The breeze

brought forward silken wings

seeking nourishment, I knew:

A butterfly.

I was too scared,

as she fluttered by,

to touch her.

Would she wonder why?

And then,

through the sky

soared a peregrine

masterful and sleek.

Its Freedom and its Bravery

were qualities to seek.

My desire was strong, yet

my attempts were weak.

Diffident,

I fashioned,

using brambles and vine,

a Nature blind where I'd hide:

a fortress where secrets

could not be pried.

I entered within

and safely sighed.

Protected

inside my static blind,

while dynamic forces continued outside,

I watched the world revolve.

And, though

the meadows did evolve,

I refused to go along:

I had no problems to solve.

Inexperience

propagated in my blind.

I could not leave --

I didn't want to mar

all of Nature, like the butterfly,

so I adored Her from afar;

and I mourned with the thought

of Her trapped in another's jar.

A sound

intervenes with my dream:

The downbeat of wings!

I suddenly awake.

Reality bursts forth:

I'm not alone in a lake.

I've fearfully discovered

my security is fake.

I stand,

it would seem,

amidst a vast mountain meadow.

I hide, passing time,

wanting to leave

my Nature blind

and knowing that with each step

the reward could be mine.

Vernon R.J. Schmid

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Your comments, suggestions, questions, or concerns would be very much appreciated. Please direct them to: vschmid@telus.net.

The above is dedicated to Karen Wycott (Karen L. Wycott, Karen Lynn Wycott, now Karen Shellow).