Poetry

A Return to the Place Between Dreams

A moment in the garden

Like dust mites caught in an errant beam of sunlight, the bees flit through the silvered nimbus rimming the fountain.

I think about all of the things that I should be doing.

But the glare off of the computer screen burns my eyes these days. Too much. Too much.

My soul craves a return to the place between dreams, where dragonflies float in the haze leaking through the trees, and monarchs flirt on currents of summer breezes, dancing along pathways only they can see.

I want to be lost in the drone of a lazy bee nestled in the clasp of the Calla Lilly.

This time of day, the elephant ears appear as veined fingers, chartreuse caught in their palms, ruffled ribbons reaching for the sky from the shadowed hush, near where the camelia bush tucks into the corner.

There, the slump-block wall has given way to the onslaught of creeping fig, which looks so soft and unassuming. But it has split that barrier in two, evidence of the slow forces of nature and of time.

I look at my own hands. They remain blue-veined, not green, but, still, I can feel my own roots descending into the very earth beneath my feet.

Overhead, a hawk screams. Primal.

And, suddenly, I am the very nectar on that bees’ belly. I am the laughing water escaping the fountain. I am the slow creep of fig and the wind beneath the dragonfly’s wings.

I am the dream.

And I am free.

Erika Burkhalter is a yogi, neurophilosopher, cat-mom, photographer, and lover of travel and nature, spreading her love and amazement for Mother Earth’s glories, one photo, poem or story at a time. (MS Neuropsychology, MA Yoga Studies).

I hope you enjoyed my musings. You might also like:

If you’re interested in keeping up with my poems, photos and stories of the critters in my neighborhood, you might consider subscribing to my stories. You’ll get an alert whenever a story gets published.

While I do normally post my stories with free “friends” links on social media, if you enjoy reading on medium, you can help the many talented writers here by joining. It helps to support the arts and to keep us writing!

And, because I’ve had a few people asking lately, if you’re ever interested in purchasing a photo, just leave me a note.

Photo and poem ©Erika Burkhalter. All rights reserved.