Solivagant – wandering my path alone.
I love wandering – so much to discover –
so much to learn -so many moments of wonder.
When I can’t see the path ahead of me
I don’t look down, I look up.
Often the path I search for
isn’t beneath my feet.
It is all around me – scenes
of beckoning and forbiddance.
Portals call out to me and draw me
to them. The leading trail is not unidirectional
nor two-dimensional. It is an invitation.
It is invisible, perhaps in my head,
and sometimes outside of me
as I discern the signals that attract me.
I long to go off the path, for that’s
where secrets and mystery lie.
Dirt and duff make the best walkways,
Soft and giving to my every step.
Though I may have to forge into tall grass
and cut out my own passageway,
stomping with my feet, I ground myself.
Moving the brush aside with my arms,
slashing at the impediments before me,
cued to close the orifices at some junctures,
to save myself from annoying pests or
toxic pollutants that got through the ether
into my sacred space. I just
spit out the bugs and press on.
Blazing my own trail, I don’t
want to follow the signs, but I
may need tools for the journey.
So with a knapsack I sonder,
collection vials for study subjects,
and field guides to alert me to
things I should leave alone.
A sturdy stick to lean upon, hat, gloves,
pocketknife, and first aid kit, too.
Water reserves hanging on the side and a
whistle for emergencies. My bandana’s a
bright color to help them find me if I’m lost.
All metaphors for the life journey.
There are perks to opting out of the well-worn path.
No one has gone where you’re going before,
the discoveries will be yours alone,
lest you decide to share them.
The path I wander is a metaphysical one.
Trails are all around me, wherever I go.
With my feet on the ground and
head in the sky, I only know that I’ve got
to keep walking if I want to get home.
Margie B. Klein
Margie B. Klein is a 35-year veteran writer on nature, and has had the pleasure of contributing for Tiny Seed before. She holds degrees in the natural sciences and is certified in environmental education, nature interpretation, and ecopsychology.