Safe place

I dream of a yurt in the woods
Shaded by trees as old as my faith
It's walls the colors of brick and blood
Warmed within by a pellet stove.
Its roof gathers rain and dew
And its floors are covered with rugs.

Wooden bed with woolen blankets
Sheepskin slippers and cedar bookshelves
Drying plants adorn the beams and perfume the air

While a Maine Coon warms herself in a sunny spot.
A carved wooden staff  against a wall
Serves as a helpmeet while I journey between the trees
And stands in token of the man I cannot yet picture
Accept-admitting into my sanctuary.


Sunlit hills are hidden through the haze of green and brown
The canopy and undergrowth
Surrounding an easterly field of green and Good
With goats and chickens and a great black horse
A frame for the rising of sun and moon.
A shed for feed and straw and herbs
A home for nourishment and healing.

Henna red hair shines like new copper
A color that comes from my soul.
Out here I can go barefoot
In soft grass with no rocks
Squashy leaf fall with no thorns
Til my feet are black and calloused
So they can feel their strong way without fear.

The perfume of fir and redwood, bay laurel and earth
Covers my hollow like a lover and a friend
Lupine and poppies
Virginia stock and golden grass
Or new-sprung buttercups and clover.

Here I weather all storms
Here I recover from storms
Here I am, with in my self in all my complexity
Here, I am safe.