”Water is taught by thirst” ~ Emily Dickinson
Sun stands tall and beats my bent back into droplets of water. I pull with fury roots of a stinging nettle infesting the garden.
It seems a futile effort to keep fighting this pest that robs me of joy; walking outdoors barefoot with skirts blown high by gentle breeze, arms outstretched, and laughter competing with songs of summer. I pause.
i sit next to water
and think of how delicious
is the taste of freedom
Young and tender no more, leaves of the plant envelope everything it touches and litter seeds to spread the rash. I persevere.
i ponder
the hullabaloo
drowning
the trumming sound
Weed keeps flourishing and rubbing people I love the wrong way. I persist, plucking root by root. Sun continues to smirk.
i thirst water from home
a verse to confirm
freedom still tastes as good
for bogus rumours
spread across the ocean
Sun stands tall and beats everything into shape. Birds and mosquitoes alike flee for shelter. I keep on weeding as I try to swallow words, I can’t spit, stuck in my dry throat.
i hear of deliverance
power of salty waters;
sweat and tears
Oh, the metamorphosis! Happy is the larva. Weed has its use. Caterpillar famished feeds, pupa nesting new life starts to dance, and beauty blooms. Fury flaps delicate like wings of a butterfly.
i taste freedom twice.
(not a direct result of the larvae feeding above)
process note: This piece was first inspired by a different piece I wrote for a poetry contest on healthy self-love and self-care.
It was also inspired by the current Finnish summer record temperatures. They say it’s never been this hot since 1976. Luckily, we didn’t go hiking this summer as we normally do. But rather planned a quite time in the countryside.
So, I’ve been courting water (lots of swimming to keep cool) and Emily Dickinson as I weed my garden for butterflies to bloom. And it turns out, water represents cleansing, life and freedom.
