Jason's Chatter/ posts/ Hunting morels

I don't consider this finished, but today's RWP prompt pushed me to at least bring it to light.

Train your thoughts on the image
and let your senses wander the ground
Look for undulating forms, pockets cradling
caught light until it flows softly as
something else entirely
different with how it treats the eyes
softly against crinkled brown litter

You know you have the right idea when
every perforated leaf, tight tiny pinecone,
dried prickly blossom tugs your senses.
Each opens possibilities sprung from the
season's fertile ground
permeated freshly with Spring dampness
that yields to the morel's firm insistence.

You're searching for a different light than
the rest, a glowing, blushing white that's
not the typical white, a glowing, soft black
that's not the typical black, in all for
light that's atypical
coming from within the Earth at dusk and dawn
all washed away by featureless midday light.

Whatever you do, don't look up away into
all that openness shoving the true ground
to back ground, fluffing details to pillows
resting your eyes outward. You need watch
little things subconsciously
when they spring from those few moments
when the world opens, ready for them.

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Good, how you made this poem dense - both in your packed grammar and imagery and how you make the stanzas are like thick blocks - helping give the feeling of the how dense the earth must be in focusing on hunting morels (I hope that makes sense). I like your packed lines and tight rhythms. Thank you
Comment by Lawrence C —
This reminds me of a Buddhist I’ve read about— walking meditation? Sounds like the poem you write is indicative of a larger conversation with the mind and its relationship to its surroundings. You’ve inspired me to take a hike this week!
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Thank you! I hadn’t thought of the dense aspect, but yes, while the ground must be a little loose, it also needs to be dense with potential. And the Buddhist tone definitely strikes home in hindsight. That is how it feels to me. I don’t “know” where to look, so I have to forget what I know.
Comment by Jason Riedy —
I like that your morel poem ended up on the same date as my birthday. I’m going to start telling people that the morel earth needs to be dense with potential… :)
Comment by Eliza —
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