Fear’s Burrowing Escape
by Odin Roark

To notice nature
is to know the tulip’s heart asks for little.
its petals upon sundown
folding shield upon shield over innocence.

The sun,
also of patience,
remains willing to allow,
understands clouds of frustration,
nature’s roiling emotion,
occasionally needs to vent.

Humans,
on the other hand,
believe less in trusting acceptance,
being too occupied with the now reward,
ignorant of perfection’s struggle,
its infinite plan.

Children,
their first steps wobbly,
beginning life’s forward movement,
need pay little attention
to personal shields and clouds.

Yet…

Grown-ups,
with little effort,
remain children,
growing only physically,
their minds and hearts easily stifled,
persuaded to become duplicitous cripples,
unaware their miss-guided adulthood
is nurturing the habit of deceit and illusion.

Tall, thin
portly, obese,
such dis-ease
has no preference.

Thus…

Many wobble still further,
finally sinking down,
willing to burrow even deeper,
trying to escape fear,
nature’s nemesis for the chance
to strive for a healthy
heart and mind.