Between the Reed Symmetry of Tiger Stripes
L. Edgar Otto 09 October, 2013
I carry my baby bundled near my breast
on the way home to the warmer fishing grounds
Too late to turn back, the twilight, wilder gully
I see the bones half eaten hidden there of horses
I walk cautiously though not aware of stalking eyes
a tiger appears before me, we both hopeless, frozen
Then the pounce like the playful cat that paused
to let the mouse groom itself before its end
I kick a small stone before awakening from dreams
parallel to some other plight in dream's sunlight
So casually we stumble then break apart the worlds
we cannot see beyond inference in the tigers stripes
Somewhere over there, the zebra fish sees me as
her spirit animal who diverts the turtle's snaps
While she protects her brood distracted by the tannin
peat that put her into exhaustion, replication frenzy
* * *
For the imaginary garden
Quite wonderful from the title right through the end. I love "we both hopeless, freeze" and seeing tiger as playful cat, diverting her from zebra and babe, To me it's an amazing idea that humans could be spirit animals to another species! I shall hold that possibility in my heart and mind. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting, esp. the idea that we could be spirit animals for others. Thoughtful!
ReplyDeleteMotherly touch seen here so well.
ReplyDeleteHumans as spirit animals, love that.
ReplyDeleteLove the view....how creative to think of one species being the spirit animal for another.
ReplyDeleteLike Susan, the thought of us being spirit animals is a new thought which gives me pause. What an incredible poem this is - so vibrantly alive and full of infinite possibility. If we are spirit animals, we need to become purer vessels:)
ReplyDeleteHumans as spirit animals, love that, too.
ReplyDeleteIf I had known I would become a spirit animal to another species, I might have led a very different life. Then again, I might not.
ReplyDeleteYou give us much to ponder here today.
K
Beautiful
ReplyDeleteLots to think about here, Edgar. My first puzzle is who is telling the story. I do not believe it is a human, rather an animal, afraid of tigers, who carries it's young near its body. Duno.
ReplyDeleteYour ending, with "replication frenzy," presents a problem for these in the wild. I have seen the techies use it often, as in keeping up with the competition, not copying, but nearer to what we called "reverse engineering" in the older days.
The dream was very realistic, pretty scary. Thank you.
..
Very creative--making the human the spirit animal and putting it all in a dreamscape. Thanks so much for taking on my prompt!!
ReplyDeleteThen the pounce like the playful cat that paused
ReplyDeleteto let the mouse groom itself before its end
Enjoyed that... and the whole "careful" walk back to the warmer fishing grounds.
I like the walk along nature through the eyes of the animal & its spirit ~ Your words speak of unceasing cycle of life & death, of walking into danger & walking away from it ~ Thoughtful write, thanks ~
ReplyDeleteOh, I love the sensory overload of being there in the night of shadows and the secrets that lurk!
ReplyDelete