POETRY

Memories of the World Are Stored Inside the Mountains

Prompt #30 — Memories

My vertigo-filled genes enhance my fear of mountains.

They store my father’s fears, my mother’s monumental memories, and my early childhood’s shivers and shame.

I am a Lowland’s Girl.

Created in Belgium, born in the Netherlands, I am a river bedding of clay.

Low and flow. Vortex and grow. Ending up in the longing for vast oceans and exotic shores.

Sand dunes are my highest mountains, with a strong foothold of sinking sand. Embracing my feet like a close-fitting dress of Gaia’s choosing.

Mountains are my destiny now. They hold the memories of times forgotten and give me the courage to honor and heal.

Dutch colonialism is stored in my great-grandmother’s Indonesian braids.

I honor her on South African shores, where kelp ocean forests wave from underwater coral mountains.

I honor her on Asian shores, where volcanos erupt and shower the world with angry ashes.

I honor her on European shores, where Es Vedra rises and helps me feel the power of just standing strong.

Mountains can change the weather by just being and becoming.

Mountains store 4.6 billion years of deep time and patience.

Mountains are my destiny.

Dancing with Diversity

A liminal space is a space between spaces. Physical liminal spaces are e.g. mountains or shores. It’s here nor there. It’s this nor that.

It’s pure transition. Like the current times in our world.

In permaculture, we are taught that the borders between microclimates matter most. It’s where the magic happens. It’s where biodiversity is greatest because species from both realms still feel at home. They stretch their boundaries but do not go full flow out of bounds and feel threatened. Preventing fear-based defense and polarization.

The solutions to all world problems at this moment can be found in the liminal space. In the mountains of courage and the dancing of waves. In the sense of deep time changing.

We have to learn how to dance with diversity. And stretch our comfort zones to embrace other views. Feel at home in the chaos of today and know in our bones that new patterns will arise when storms have passed.

Gaia is in no hurry. Seven generations from now, our great-great-great-grandchildren will be completely different beings. Wise, mature, compassionate. They will have found solutions in realms we do not even consider right now.

Have faith, my friends. Just take one wise step at a time.

The mountains on land and inside the oceans hold memories of 4.6 billion years past and will create memories of the 4.6 billion years into the future.

The mountains will survive us all.

Thank you, Literary Impulse, for giving us the prompts for National Poetry Month. I entered late in the month but have enjoyed the last few days with vigor. This is the last for now. There will be next times…

Thank you, poetry friends, for being on this journey with me. Karen Amy Caroline Michele Trista Eli Kira Liam Gurpreet Paroma Terry janny’s Jupiter Dr. Preeti Claire Jennifer Dennett Dipti Holly Stuart Michael Will Ashok Martine Erika Aimée Carolyn Susan Wild Flower Rebecca Niki Somsubhra Elisabeth Priyanka Selma. I hope you enjoyed what I created with the few prompts I chose.

Want to connect? You can find me somewhere on our beautiful planet, with my hands in the soil and my eyes gazing at moonshots and quantum leaps. Or find me via Linktree.

© Désirée Driesenaar