Into the leaves

written by Taylor Shogren

Brown knuckled roots hold up emerald
Leaves twist push for light
Unrepentant cycle of retreat
Flame red gold fall a herald

I change my clothes a thousand leaves at a time

Rotting beside the rough bones of our blood
Dry rustle our voice demands return
Sap slip from ground to sun and down again
One life to soar then black to mud

I climb, life connecting wind to earth

Bodies fertile ground entwined
Embraced again we venture growth
Cycle of spring to spring and back again
Ebb of sap stoneward intertwined

I have become time solidified

My roots connected to the course of
Leaves green gold and gone
My pulse slow fast and drawn
A breath of centuries exhaled

Taylor Shogren was born in Oregon, raised as both a hippy on a bus and then as a strict evangelical christian.  He eventually joined the Marine Corp and served for 8 years and has spent the last 18 years as a massage therapist. His experiences as a veteran, professional body-worker and avid reader have inspired him to collaborative storytelling and poetry. He lives in the East Bay with his partner of 16 years and numerous furry children.