Rainstick's Bidding

Richard took us to our senses Saturday morning: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling - the importance of rooting our poetry is the here and now. We were to choose five nouns, close our ears, and listen to the sounds of two different rainsticks being passed around the room. As we listened, I simply jotted down what I heard and what I sensed in the hearing, then rooted those sounds to my five nouns: seed, house, mountain, sky, roots.

Rainstick’s Bidding

by Sheila Conner

In night’s darkness

The seed gestates in silent stillness

Ground ruptures

Shaking house and rattling bones

Teeth chatter

Sky loosens and energy rushes

Opening and closing

Space inside

Deepest valley

Highest mountain

Dry riverbed rushes

With overflow

Roots drive down

Buds erupt

Vibration’s voice animates life

Awake! Pay attention!

Be!