Contrasts & coexistence
Finding the beauty in it all
This week I’m sharing a poem I wrote last September. It definitely has an “in-between” summer-into-fall sort of vibe. I was also “in-between” on a personal level a year ago. Having resigned from my teaching position in June, I was applying for various jobs and wondering where I’d land. I spent lots of time in contemplation. Solo walks and runs were opportunities to think, observe, reflect, brainstorm, and problem-solve.
The observations and reflections in this poem came to me during that time. I often met the deer pictured below on my morning runs. They're city deer, used to living alongside humans. You can see the truck parked at the apartment building in the distance. We’ve lived in this unique slice of urban neighborhood along a forested river corridor for almost 28 years. We coexist happily here with deer, hawks, turkeys, and other nonhuman friends.
Contrasts & coexistence
*
My deer-friends greet me
calmly with friendly eyes
about a mile into my run.
I jog the slight incline
up the park path
to the busy street above.
I pass a couple of trees
changing, dropping leaves
way before the others.
Looking at the pavement
I’m cheered by the palette of
yellow-greens and
bright orange-reds.
*
A pungent, skunky
smell reaches me.
A tired looking man in a
backward baseball cap
and worn grey hoodie
smokes a joint and waits
for his ride at the bus stop.
At the next intersection,
I turn to run over the bridge,
busy morning commuters
drive on one side and
the sun glistens off the river
far below on the other.
*
Back on another trail,
three bikers pass,
leisurely and chatting.
Their safety vests
pop fluorescent green
against the earthy tones
of the nearby foliage
and the prolific goldenrod.
Other bikers clad in
sleek Lycra outfits
pass more speedily
and more seriously.
*
I alternate between
the paved path and
a gravel and mud strip
worn into the grass beside it.
The sound of the stones
crunching beneath my feet
pleases me and lulls me
into a slower pace.
I switch between the
two paths and my
heart rate varies
in response.
*
A young couple with three large brown dogs
emerges from the forest,
leashes tangled.
They navigate the untangling
each single-handedly,
disposable coffee cups
occupying their other hands.
*
Running, thinking, savoring,
Listening to the sounds of
traffic from the nearby city streets,
chickadees and cicadas,
whizzing bike wheels.
*
I think. I think
of contrasts and
complexities and
coexistence.
I think what a
beautiful thing
it is to be
right here,
right now,
in this place.
***
Thanks for reading. I hope you also take time to observe and savor and appreciate the places you live and visit! Contrasts and complexities and beauty coexist everywhere.
Gratefully,
Mary
P.S. See also "Place Where You Live: Milwaukee, Wisconsin" in Orion Magazine.