Root Mother

staying grounded in fearful times

Root Mother

I do not see you
as much as I feel you–
know you, the way I know
my bones hold me upright as I walk,
or the pressure of bare feet on cool grass.

You, Root Mother, draw my eyes downward
to the earth, where the heart of life beats,
the deep throb beneath
all the distractions we call life.

Root Mother, yes, that is the best name
I can give you, although your true name
sounds more like water over stone
or the creak of growing corn.

Some truths are hidden,
tucked away in the holy darkness,
far from my dissecting mind,
yet I know they are there,
safe in your hands.

Who says I must understand
something fully in order to celebrate it–
even to be held by it?

You call me back to the center
of my own being, a space much lower
than any lofty thoughts of my mind,
where you wait with divine patience.

I will never begin to know
the truth of my own body until
I rest in the rich darkness of yours,
and for this grace I thank you. 

--Stuart Higginbotham

The earth card from my deck I use for devotions and grounding…

I have noticed a direct correlation between the amount of anxiety I feel and my need to walk barefoot on the earth. Sometimes, when the weather is warm, I get an old sheet and lie on the ground, closing my eyes and seeing if I can feel myself sink just a bit into the ground beneath me. When I feel the earth pressing against me, that force of presence, I know on a deeper level that I am not alone. I am not separate. And, I can breathe more deeply.

This poem “Root Mother” is one from a couple years ago, I think. I woke up this morning and it was back in my consciousness, with the images that invite me beyond what I feel I can control. So, I took my watering can, headed out to the garden, and spent some time with the plant friends who live around our house. They had a good bit to say.

Maybe you can take some time today to walk barefoot. Maybe it will help you breathe.

Blessings,

Stuart