By Fil Sanna
Remembered fields of red grass
Orange berries and red trees in the fall
The first, crisp winds of winter sting into my face
A caress of pure indifference
Traveled over plains and mountains,
Swirled through trees and under the wings of birds
The passion of the earth comes now to greet me
And I know what it is to be alive
There is no judgment here, no sound
Only feelings and the washed out colors of summer
No one watches as field mice trek across the thin crust of snow
We see their trace only briefly
And wonder at the cause, destination and condition of their journey
Before the sun and the wind have their say
Casting new patterns on the snow and our imaginations
My creativity flows sometimes gently, sometimes violent
Like the gurgling stream and the summer lightning
I stand with flowers over my head
Bees lazily circling around the obstructions of my body
This is my sanctuary, my ancient source of strength
To which I return again for renewal
Fil Sanna is the Lead Site Steward of the Spring Valley Tract of land near New Glarus that he donated to the Driftless Area Land Conservancy late last year. See story. Picture courtesy of Fil.