Earth Etude for Elul 17 — Slow Down

by Nyanna S. Tobin ~

Slow food folding like a snail over her slime.
I remember my Dad in his slow down days.
Even his deep lined smile crept slowly over his face.
A thought made Jack Benny sound like a whirled-gig.

Perhaps my Dad was waiting for his angel,
While she was waiting for him to scream her name.
And he never did.

He seemed to be a life-long prisoner of Fear.
But my escape from that realm,
Invited me to gaze around the corner
To play hide-and-seek at dawn with Curiosity.

We no longer need to scream. .
My older self carries little green hearing aides.
Sometimes I see the bend of a leaf Curiosity flies by.
Today, she, like Tinkerbell, is silent.

Nyanna S. Tobin is a Social and Climate Activist, Teller of True Stories, and Woodland Singer. She lives in Acton, MA, with Ziggy Dog. She is a proud Charter Member of JCAN.

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