Reptiles

I have always loved
lizards, snakes, and salamanders...

When they appear,
I listen.
For they always have a message
for me...

This mound of earth
in my front yard
holds special meaning to me for many reasons.
One plant had taken over,
like a thought that won't let go...

So... I began pulling it out,
the roots
a tangled maze beneath the hidden stones...

and found this fellow...
a lizard of some sort,
reminding me of a salamander,
but this one has scales...

He followed me
as I cleared the tenacious roots,
uncovering stones
and setting the stage for new flowers.

Before looking him up,
I free associate on what reptile means to me...

Transformation
Alchemy
Fire & Water
Tiny dragon
Navigates above & below
Knows life through its skin...

I settle my injured ankle
into the cool grass
and breathed this moment in...

My dream of last night
settles over me...

I dream that Milton has come home.
He says that he loves the changes I've made,
especially the stone floors...

which are exactly like the mosaic
stones in my garden mound,
where reptiles
and new life...
spring forth.