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Five poems - World Views: New Writing About NatureLiterary Review , Summer, 1996 by S.K. KelenThe House Spider The spider was there when we moved in basking on a sunlit bit of wall waving its front legs in greeting. Dad said it was "a cheeky bastard" then, checking his language & waxing more lyrical, called the huntsman "an eight-legged fox." Dad put the spider outside catching it gently in a glass spider jar & letting it loose in the backyard. But it kept coming back, that cheeky eight-legged bastard. (Calling a spider a fox cut no ice with us.) And Dad kept catching him in the spider jar & tossing him into the backyard, saying "he should be outside hunting rats & taking his chances with the cat. Out you go, quick smart." For weeks this went on, Dad with excuses like spiders belong under rocks or what if it scares the kids. But we weren`t scared. "Huntsmen should be out hunting," Dad announced, catching the poor cheeky bastard by surprise in the spider jar and letting him outside. But that night, after Dad had been smoking, the spider was back inhaling the blue air. The cheeky bastard beckoned with his front legs, "follow me," and demonstrated the webbed traps `round the house with trapped flies, moths & mozzies -- an impressive bounty. From that day on, they were great mates. Dad`d stay up late reading & writing & the spider would appear on the door-frame to relax or flamboyantly hunt moths buzzing the light. Then one day Dad found the spider half-dead with three legs missing under a toy car. I can`t say who did it. The cat had sneaked in the night before. (The cat was never allowed in.) I mean the privileges accorded that cheeky bastard seemed a little undue: the run of the house staying up late with Dad reading, writing, having fun. Deaf, Dumb and Blind The man cannot see, hear or talk yet he`s been filmed riding an elephant in Tibet, climbing Himalayan peaks & through his hands he speaks most elegant poems, makes flowers and stars conjured from a heart of light as he walks through the dark; then finally he is ancient like flaming sand -- the Earth turns again -- breeze blows & the air that he has touched & loved. South Coast From the rocks see 3 metre waves dumpers, fast and foamy white water rips everywhere the ocean`s evil grin no one`s game. Today ocean roars with the voice of everything that ever lived or moved, it is all the dinosaurs trees, humans & sharks, falling boulders, earthquakes, laughing jungle Earth`s past hearts, sweet bees and flowers the whole bloody lot swirling hunger for the life they crave a cruel river`s growl is in it. Waves` machine gun thunder hushes towns, Fog banishes mountains plumes the shore. Fog clamps down, headlands float out to sea -- the air a curtain -- village streets are only tracings and not even a car. Houses meditate & the rocks hum then nighttime is flashlight time. Under a memorial cairn in barbecue park the banshee war wakes stars shiver, sea sings. Possum and Dog Breath quiet branch shook in the night Possum sat on the window sill and through a triangle of parted blinds watched a strange household rite. "Man`s talk is crazy," Possum thought in possum language, "but Dog must be a weak and foolish creature listening to human droppings when he should be out and about." Moon shone bright ideas into Possum sitting outside the window watched Dog listening to the brutal human waited snigger sappy pup booted out pounce, shred the bastard`s ears. On random nights leaves rustle, throaty growl in a tree: shadow down on the ground whack whack Dog runs whining back. This goes on regular for two and a half years then one day Dog brings home the possum. Trans-Sumatran Highway Is a race track built for carts, winds a silver spell over a dragon`s back. The bus has no front brakes and our lives are God`s will, Life turns with the wheels The bus stops at a walking highway. Hello Money, the children welcome you, smile sweetly, their eyes shine sun and mountain. Rickety rope bridges cries-cross the Bohorok River that surges the approaching mountain tsunami. And at the head of the river is the Jungle Inn where the manager registers guests in the heart of darkness. Elements are real, everything else is a game or trick and at night the mountain gods demonstrate glee. Sheet lightning frames river & forest in white light shows the once quiet river is black and angry with churning mud. Air crackles, lightning in the river flash flash the lightning is in us electric humans. The wind brings the cries of angry elephants river swells like high sea & on its banks the bamboo towns wait. Every Sunday gibbons, white and black monkeys overrun villages on the Trans-Sumatra Highway. Occasionally, a bamboo tiger kitten will stray A ragged boy chases a bicycle wheel with a stick through coffee and pepper trees. Beyond the Government Orangutan Sanatorium, past the final waterfalls and bamboo walls far from the rice paddy`s jaws and grinding saws a tiger roars his name Harimau, Harimau, Harimau. Closer to town, it`s weekend fun and the end for a honeybear and her cubs squaring up to a pack of hunting dogs. Back at the Jungle Inn, mushrooms explode in a vicious brew specially prepared for Hari Merdeka. Drink magic the sky sings, stars form themselves into a map of the archipelago. Fireworks on TV with the sound turned down, The President`s Jakarta parade elicits much laughter. As it is a holiday, appease volcano spirits with sacrifices of lit cigarettes, leave rice on roofs for storms to eat. Hungry rain. Sneaky stressors and how to fight them; sometimes what works your last good nerve is the thing you least suspected - Health ReportEssence , August, 2003 by Nicole Saunders << Page 1Continued from page 2.Previous|
1 MINUTE Untie those knots in your shoulders with a "cherry picker" stretch. Imagine there`s a cherry tree high above your head; alternating arms, stretch and try to pick the cherries off. 5 MINUTES The next time your buttons are pushed, do a breathing exercise to help regain your cool. It`s simple: Alice D. Domar, Ph.D., a psychologist and author, suggests taking slow deep breaths, letting your chest and abdomen rise and fall in rhythm with your breathing. You can also try counting backward from ten to zero, pausing at each number to take a deep breath and exhale. 7 MINUTES Sure, the thought of coming home after a hectic day and having that special someone rub your back sounds great. But if you`re living single, you can also give yourself a toe-curling, ultra-relaxing massage. Tiffany Field, Ph.D., director of the University of Miami Touch Research Institute, offers this rub-you-the-right-way technique: Lean with your back against a wall. Place a tennis ball between your shoulders and the wall and do a squat, letting the ball press against your back. 10 MINUTES You don`t have to wait until your next vacation to get away and unwind. Experts say that if you picture your favorite place and focus on what it smells and sounds like, you can trick your brain into thinking you`re actually there. Or keep a favorite vacation photo of yourself near your desk and make a point of looking at it every hour or so to trigger a happiness flashback. 15 MINUTES Do some progressive muscle relaxation--it`s a lot simpler than it sounds. Tighten your forehead muscles for five to ten seconds, then relax them. Squeeze your eyes shut, then open them. Tighten and release your cheek muscles. Keep moving down your body, squeezing and relaxing your muscles until you reach your toes. 20 MINUTES Our grandmothers started their day reciting prayer or their favorite scripture verse--and research now shows that those simple acts of faith are also scientifically sound stress relievers. Sit quietly, close your eyes, and relax your muscles. Each time you exhale, repeat your chosen word or prayer. "You should do this for 10 to 20 minutes a day to get the calming benefits," says Herbert Benson, M.D., president of the Mind/Body Medical Institute in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. And once you`ve made this a regular practice, you can do a "mini" during the day, repeating your chosen word anytime you feel stressed for instant calm. 30 MINUTES Eat something healthy. Food influences the production of serotonin, a chemical in the brain that creates a sense of calm. When you`re stressed, more serotonin can improve your mood. You can boost your serotonin levels with the omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish and flaxseed. Foods high in folic acid, such as orange juice, cantaloupe, spinach, broccoli, asparagus and legumes, also do the trick. Whatever you do, don`t give in to temptation and reach for high-fat foods. Research shows that high-fat diets raise stress-hormone levels and interfere with the body`s ability to calm itself, even after the stress is over, according to Elizabeth Somer, author of Food and Mood (Owl Books). Previous- 1- 3-Eyes relaxation index
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