the soft animal of this body

by kye on August 26, 2009

I’m feeling mammalian this morning: very nearly furry.

As I woke, I was just a little animal whose warm weight was even this moment leaving a warm imprint in the nest of my bed.  I felt both front paws tucked together under my chin.  I felt the imprint—in the curl of my body—of the fetus I once was.

And I feel the turn of the season.  Summer has nearly broken; first light comes later now.  It’s the first morning that the heat of my imprint before I first move, feels luxurious.

I stretch; my shoulders crackle.

Tagged as: end of summer, soft animal, waking up

  • http://www.scribeforthetribe.com Charley

    This is poetry Kye. Beautiful free verse. I hope that you have considered putting together a book with your best writings.

    I know what you mean by the summer fading. Summer is such a precious thing where I live. We have some of the most severe winters in the continental US. So you try to enjoy the warm weather as it comes, but really, it’s during that period where it just starts to cool, like this evening, where one can appreciate the change of seasons best.

    I will say that I’ve never felt like a tiny furry animal waking up. Sometimes a conjested, cranky elephant, but not a furry animal. But I can perfectly picture the scene that you paint of yourself and your morning.

    – Charley

  • kye

    Charley, I’m chortling at the picture of that congested cranky pachyderm.

    …and thank you for that wonderful compliment and encouragement!

    Kye

  • http://www.balanceinme.com Anastasiya

    It made me dream about going to bed tonight and hope that in the morning I will be able to feel the same… Soft… Happy… Furry… Peaceful… I am even shivering with pleasure as I read this.
    I am looking forward to the next feeling that you are going to describe. I am sure it will be as amazing and vivid as this one…

  • http://www.balanceinme.com Anastasiya

    It made me dream about going to bed tonight and hope that in the morning I will be able to feel the same… Soft… Happy… Furry… Peaceful… I am even shivering with pleasure as I read this.
    I am looking forward to the next feeling that you are going to describe. I am sure it will be as amazing and vivid as this one…

  • kye

    Anastasiya, you've made my day, this is what I most hope will happen for my readers. And knowing that it's connected makes it such a pleasure to think about writing the next one!

  • http://sharingsuccess.tv/ jai kai

    Short, Sweet and Descriptive… I like it. I feel your poetry and prose will help me with my visualizations. Thanks for sharing

  • http://www.zentangodeoscarwright.com/ oscar wright

    Hi Kye…I am glad that you ordered a book by Hikmet…he is by far my favorite poet. I hope you got his “Love poems”….there is something so genuine and compelling in his writing. He is little known in the US probably because he was a communist…he was an idealist…a fighter for freedom and justice and he paid dearly for it.

    By the way, I was recently in Istanbul…what a city…I have never been in America or in Europe …in such a marvelous city. Giant skyscapers like in New York and at at the same time historic and old. The people were amazingly kind and generous and this is a testimonial to Islam which permeates their society. The level of tango was very high.

    Istanbul, like Rome, is built on 7 hills. It was called “new rome” by Emperor Constantine when he decided to move his capital there. One of the high lights for me was praying in a mosque during ceremonies. God has so many aspects doesn't he. The more time goes on the more I focus on that distant white light which is God. To find he, it helps alot to experience him in his various manifestations.

    By the way, I read a little bit of Fredrick Franck; very interesting. I woul love to read his Zen book. I really look forward to meeting you some day. Either here or there. Why don't you write me at oswright@gmail.com

    I just uploaded a new video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX1CnDygTWM. Would you please rate it and comment on it.

  • kye

    Oscar, I didn't get his “Love Poems”, but the “Poems of Nazim Hikmet”. I'll have to look for the love poems. Judging by the one you shared, they are treasures.

    Are the Istanbul skyscrapers themselves historic and old? … no, I think you must mean that they are nestled into the surrounding history.

    I imagine kind and generous tango…

    'The Awakened Eye' is my favorite of Franck's books. I used to have more of a collection of them. But now I just have that one, and 'Zen Seeing, Zen Drawing' — and one whose name escapes me which is not about drawing, but about being a human being. That last one reminds me of Bernie Glassman's 'Bearing Witness'–have you run across Glassman?

  • kye

    I'd love to hear where it takes your visualization, if you'd care to share…

  • acordaamor

    I'm excited that I've come across this site — feeling more deeply into the wisdom of the body seems like something that is sorely needed in our culture and it's great to see someone exploring it.

  • kye

    @acordaamor — glad you found it–welcome! ..and thanks for the encouragement.

  • kye

    @acordaamor — glad you found it–welcome! ..and thanks for the encouragement.

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