Thanks to Mike Cavorac for this photo of me and my favorite Bear 610.
Check out the claws!
On this Earth Day 2012, I would like to share a poem that I wrote and was honored to read at our 6th annual Locavore’s celebration of local growers and food producers, sponsored by Slow Food of the Tetons. I wrote this poem in honor of food itself but especially for those whose skill and impossibly long hours keep our local population fed and healthy all year long.We are blessed by their dedication both physically and spiritually,which is what the poem addresses.
“2012 first Fritillaria” by Timothy C. Mayo
Perhaps my favorite flower Fritillaria, popular name Yellowbell, is one of our first spring appearing species of flowers. There is a special nub of hill I have dubbed Fritillaria Hill as each spring it is blanketed in Yellowbells in fresh fragrant steaming spring soil. Often my favorite tribe of Bears make their first public appearances on Fritillaria Hill.
Today on April 22 EarthDay 2012~a day I always honor as one of our most holy Holidays~some of my favorite Bears appeared on Fritillaria Hill as I was driving by early morning. I ended up watching them raid a stash of stored food~perhaps from ground squirrels. They voraciously grabbed huge chunks of earth devouring the buried treasure. But not without some tension. Food fight ensued as a hungry cub wanted the food that clearly Mom~our famous bear 399~wanted to oversee. I heard sounds I have never heard from Bears before. Really wild and incredibly loud. Things all worked out in the end as this Mother was educating her cub in some ancient mysterious language of food.
So here it is, my poem. Enjoy!
“First Flower” by Timothy C. Mayo
EARTH: Star of Emerald Desire
A Blessing for Locavores Gathering April 20 2012
1. Wild Earth
Holy Earth
Sensual Earth
Sustaining Earth
Wild Food
Pine nuts and earthy Mushrooms
Potatoes Spring Beauty bulbs
Holy Food
tinctures of teas
ah fragrant Rose hip orbs
Sensual Food
Huckleberries edible yellow Violets
sweet nectar of Bees
Sustaining Food
Buffalo Deer our enduring Elk
Milk
2.The food of Food
is celestial:
lunar cycles seasonally rising stars
The food of Food
is spiritual:
sweat and hope love and prayer
The food of Food
is elemental:
earth water air
solar fire
~the food of Food
is desire~
The etheric food of Food:
our human need
translated into quiet prayers
The etheric food of Food:
patient growers
calm full of hope
The etheric food of Food:
a harvester’s joy
the eater’s delight
Food needs love to grow
Food
needs
~desire~
3. In eating
we absorb Earth’s evolution
In eating our spirits are fed by
Earthly delights
In eating
we return to primordial origin
~Our physical bodies transform the chlorophyll light~
4. Do your ancient incantations:
Call in the chi of soil
Invoke the breathe of Kale
Envision infinite color
Sing in the New Moon dawns
Dance at the Full Moon high tides
Food needs love to grow
~Food needs desire~
Ask for what you want
Accept what EARTH provides
~Earth is our galaxy’s star
of emerald desire~
5. Wild Earth
Holy Earth
Sensual Earth
Sustaining Earth
Ask for what you want
Accept what EARTH provides
~EARTH is our galaxy’s star of emerald desire~
As Tibby Plasse (this year’s organizer of Locavores) said, “food is the one thing that brings us all together in the end. We can all find agreement in good food.” www.paradisespringsfarm.com
We are all Earthers~Earth lovers~Foodies~in the end.
Lyn Dalebout
deerlyn@gmail.com
