For Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge No. 50, To Cleanse, Yvette has invited us to write a poem about cleansing or, atonement. I chose cleansing.
Photo: taken in 2022 in the Wooditjup National Park, the Karri canopy.
Form: Haibun
Grounding
Sometimes an aromatic herbal smudge will be my thing, sometimes an invocation, meditation, there are times when earthy tribal music is my go to, other times I turn to my journal and writing. When my internal seasons are not aligned I feel out of whack, when my soul is in winter I need a thaw, too much summer and I’m running hot, the polarity of passion and melancholy needs a shift.
Lots of rituals and practices at my disposal, but my real cleanse is to go out into the forest and soak up the air, the smells, the colours, the sounds, to just be – to relocate my centre. Being in nature brings me a sense of balance. If I take off my shoes the circuit is complete and energy courses through me, cleansing, recharging me for life.
humous and dry leaves
soiled feet below canopy
ground of deep inner cleansing
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