Underneath my fingernails
a promise caught:
for saplings,seeds and bulbs
for growths and green
for spring
for what I dug in fall:
A growth from soil (decay
and death)
form dirt and blisters
welcome daffodils.
So when it’s time to part
with earth
please let me fertilize,
please turn my flesh to mulch
and bones to ash
and find my soul in daffodils.
Soul Of The Underground by Jean Dubuffet
Today my prompt on dVerse is to write about soil. Be inspired to dig as deep as you want. Write dirty if you like. Bar opens soon, come join the fun.
—
May 9, 2017
There is a certain purity in returning the body back to the earth.
If we give life to daffodils, maybe it’s all worth while.
That opening is a home run (forgive the metaphor). I have the same wish as you though I would love to nourish a Jacaranda tree–thus the theme of the title poem in my (only, so far) poetry collection.
your “soul to daffodils” … beautiful thought. Great write!
That is so sweet actually. I hope you do turn into daffodils, I would be ever content to turn into a daisy or tournesol 🙂 Cheryl-Lynn
Your opening lines are compelling. May you bear much fruit come harvest.
Yup–that closing line is killer, and there, somehow, is a life lived within the slender limbs of brevity. You always do so much, reap so much, from slim stanzas. My verbosity, clearly how I do it, poetry, can be intimidating for those outriders on the dVerse trail, hopping from site to site.
Great opening Bjorn and wonderful rhythm through the poem ~ and closing sentiments which I embrace
Love that soil giving life even after death ~ Your ending lines are my favorite with: find my soul in daffodils.
Beautiful…soul in daffodils.
Beautiful blessing poem!
A prayer to fertilize! Wonderful piece!
A lovely thought of becoming a daffodil, one of the first flowers of spring and new life.
My goodness this is gorgeous!! Especially love the tenderness of your last stanza ❤️
lovely to become one with the earth at the end of our journey
The opening line is an instant hook, evoking a gardener’s green fingers and hope. The last stanza is about being comfortable as a mortal and I love the idea of the soul becoming daffodils!
“A growth from soil (decay
and death)”
so so so so beautiful. the cycle of life beautifully described.
Ah, this felt like a prayer in every inch. Beautifully penned.
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Love the yellow!
a much less solipsistic tale than narcissus! love the depth and breadth of this birth and burial
This is beautiful: find my soul in daffodils. A renewal of life.
You could grow some great daffodils. I’d probably just grow dandelions
Brilliant poem Bjorn! “…and find my soul in daffodils ” what more can we ask than an encore like this. Thank you!
Thank you, I couldn’t comment on your poem, but I really liked it.. even that dirt under fingernails we seemed to have both.
To return to where we began and know it for the first time.
we’ve lost that connection – life and death, together ~
Recycling…at its finest! Thanks for encouraging us to play in the dirt with this prompt.
I totally agree, Bjorn! What a lovely thought. There’s something about gardening that heals. Both of our poems were somewhat on the same track at the end. I am happy you are done with your surgery and back at it.
One of my favorite activities since childhood and making mud pies!