When Wandering is Seeking

When Wandering is Seeking

Straight.
Narrow.

Do not veer!

Photo by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash

But I cannot feel my Mother
through the rigid asphalt.

She is soft,

colorful

inviting.

And forgiving when I stumble.

Must I stay on the covenant path?

Can I walk barefoot on the grass next to it?

Can I cut across the meadow?

And listen to the flowers and insects
lift their song of praise?

They mock me.

The ones on that straight and narrow
sidewalk.

They claim I must be ashamed
and assume I can no longer
taste the fruit.

But my Mother’s love is there!

In the dew that wets my feet
as I step onto the moss.

I feel her love
as I clamber over
tree roots and fallen limbs.

It is here in the
messy wilderness

And I am prone to wander

Seeking to feel her.

No bricks
or concrete
between us

Just the sweet earth,

Catching me each time
I fall.