At midday, I dug beneath damp straw
and gently ran my fingers through dirt,
and, there, in the kingdom of earth worms,
found dozens of beautiful ruby-skinned potatoes,
each one of them precious in my hands.
God knows I have longed to be found this way—
pulled out from my darkness and cradled,
held up to the light with an oooh and an ahh
and a laugh of joy, though I’m slightly misshapen,
though I’m bumpy and imperfect.
There are days when I see through it so easily,
the longing to be loved, and I simply feel the love
that always exists, the love that grows in darkness,
that is utterly unconcerned with worthiness,
that feels no need for discovery.
There are moments when I can’t imagine
I ever thought I was lost, like today,
kneeling in the dirt, marveling at the beauty
of potatoes, mud-smudged and lumpy,
knowing myself as another who belongs to the earth.
This poem was inspired by my friend Kyra, who is most definitely a gorgeous earth being who helped me harvest potatoes!
Rosemerry, I’m knocked over with an “oooof” on a daily basis by your poems. So many times you capture just what I’ve felt digging potatoes or making pastry or holding a loved one’s hand, yet your words stitch these experiences into an unexpected wholeness. Your daily poems have become my meditation. Thank you.
Awwww! Thank you, Laura! That means soooo much to me. I think we live soul sister lives …