IN THE FIELD WITH MY ZEN

In The Field With My Zen

by Ariane Blackman

Field music of murmurings
just past what we are sure 
and yet so ignorant
of anything but ours

 

of even the plants’ purpose— 
opening, following light
sensile roots
rhizome to rhizome
and through electric air   
spelling out—danger! Now!

 

Plant and predator
intertwined
in dance, a net
a who gets who first 
a weighing in 
beyond— 
we think we own it all 
 

Then in the morning
trees breath
and birds sing to the dawn    
spiders, hawks and big cats
mark their prey— 
nature may be cruel
 

but listen to the yipping of
the prairie dogs— 
a signal for man walking
a different one
for man walking in field with gun 
 

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Ariane Blackman

Ariane Blackman is a writer and poet. Her curiosity and love of wandering have led her to visit many places. She has dived off Andros Island and the Caymans, taught Qigong, climbed the Inca Trail, fire-walked, built a boat, talked with elephants, slept under the stars in a Kalahari Ju/”hoansi Bushmen village. She is co-editor of Juniper Poetry. Her publications include: Chapbook, No One Sleeps, Lyricalmyrical Press, 2013; poetry book, The River Doesn’t Stop, Aeolus House, 2018; latest novel, The Unexpected Journeys of Lawrence Tyrone, LE Press, 2019.

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You can find her on:

Twitter (@akblackman1) and her website http://www.akblackman.com