<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr">I love how a rearranging (twisted) mind works. I'm personally familiar with how it does and doesn't. I also love how this poem paces itself through nature's spaces calling me in to remind me,<i> "We are part of each other."</i> Thanks for sharing another masterpiece with us, Riantee, by letting the <i>"creature"</i> speak.</div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Gratefully,<br><div><br></div><div>~ Ed</div></div><br dir="auto"><div class="gmail_quote" dir="auto"><div class="gmail_attr" dir="ltr">On Sat, May 27, 2023 at 12:13 PM Riantee Rand via Thespiritexpress <<a href="mailto:thespiritexpress@lists.mcn.org">thespiritexpress@lists.mcn.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex" class="gmail_quote"><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><br><div><br><blockquote type="cite"><br><div><div dir="ltr">
<h1 style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;break-after:avoid;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Courier New";font-weight:normal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Creature on My
Birthday<span></span></span></h1><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif","serif"" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span> </span></span></p><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">I sit
perfectly still at a confluence of two streams<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">my feet
caressing the water <span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">where a
twisted branch <span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">churns the
water into foam. <span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">At the place
where moss swaddle the massive rocks<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">the
quivering ferns plot a new flow <span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">and the
sound of water turns into distinctive voices;<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">when I
listen too intensely, <span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">the voices
become sounds again.<span></span></span></div><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif","serif"" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span> </span></span></p><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">A black fish
suddenly shoots across a deep pool <span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">clearing a
path through my consciousness.<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">When it
leaves my vision I catch sight of a furry creature<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">now swimming
towards my leg.<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">Its thick
brown coat is dripping,<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">wet strands
partly hide its tiny ears,<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">it has the
tail of a swimmer, the eyes of a hunter,<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">it is here,
right here, <span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">in the eye
of the present,<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">on the head
of a pin,<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">so close to
my truth <span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">it burns a
hole into what I called my reality.<span></span></span></div><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif","serif"" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span> </span></span></p><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">Through that
window I catch sight of a new me<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">untroubled
as a forest,<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">limpid as
water,<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">surrendered
to what is.<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">My leg is a
tree trunk<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">that can
readily accept being climbed on.<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">I am dispassionate
and present,<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">I do not
need a name for the creature,<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">I do not
need a name for myself.<span></span></span></div><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif","serif"" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span> </span></span></p><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">As the
animal starts climbing my leg<br>
a branch suddenly snaps and startles me.<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">My mind
rapidly takes hold of the situation:<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">What
foolishness. <span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">My leg is no
tree trunk, <span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">I am no
forest. <span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">I am made of
flesh <span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">that can be
easily torn.<span></span></span></div><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif","serif"" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span> </span></span></p><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">Horror
stricken at my transformation<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">the animal
jumps back,<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">and <span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">with an
impossible twist of its spine,<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">plunges
backward into the water and swims out of sight.<span></span></span></div><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif","serif"" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span> </span></span></p><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">The mind rearranges
the world<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">to make
believe<span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"">that it has control.<span></span></span></div><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:"MS Serif","serif"" class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
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