A LAWN MOWING MUSE MEDITATION

Today as I sat in the doctor's office waiting room, I sifted through a maze of magazines (albeit archaic) Men's Health (too masculine) Women's Day )too feminine). Ah, the Smithsonian (dull but safe)

Introduction: Thumbing through Smithsonian Magazine, I found the one poem lurking inside its dusty pages. It was written by a former United States Poet Laureate about his attempt to paint an artist's rendering of a fruit. (Yes, Fruit)

"OK" said my Muse. Here's your sign! If he can take a subject like this and pen it into prose, so can you" so here's my (fruitful) attempt:

LAWN MOWING MEDITATION

I've often heard it said

Do you awaken and say---Lo, the Morn"

----Or do you say, "Mow the Lawn?"

I admit I mutter the latter.

Who knew the delightful discoveries that hide inside the lawn?

---Certainly not I---and that's for sure!

As a teen, I (reluctantly) answered Dad's call to mow the lawn

After all, what lad wants to drive the family lawn mower,

-----If he can drive the new family car, right?

But as I mowed, words came to me as I lost my senses

To the whirr and whine of the red-hot sputtering engine motor.

---A righteous rhyming rhythm seemed to stalk me step by step.

Admittedly, I left jagged unmowed rows of tall grass as I disappeared

To write the words of a gospel song that would soon be published

----Recorded by artists from all across America. Who Knew?

Another day as I mowed the back yard, I noticed unexpected movement

In the tall, gangling high growing green grass.

Peter Rabbit's long lost floppy eared cousin hopped right out to greet me.

He ran from my lawnmower as fast and furiously as he could

Followed by a rambling row of naked pink bunnies.

----Transversing the knee deep, emerald grass.

I went right inside and penned a "Pet Article"

For a national Magazine for which I love to free lance.

---As Peter's country cousin hopped all over my naked brains.

Recently while mowing, I noticed a bird's nest up in the tree above

Wow, a mother's warm breast was completely surrounded by babies.

That night came a severe storm with wild winds and great balls of hail

Could my new bird friends actually survive this disastrous ordeal?

Early next morning Ichecked on the nest. There in all its peaceful glory

---Grinned Mama Bird, and her chirping naked babies. I stood there amazed!

Quickly I went inside to marry my computer keys and meditation muse.I wrote a story

for Guideposts that was published earlier this year:"God Cares for Sparrows---and Me."

Who knew there is so much Muse in Mowing the darn ole lawn, right?

Oh, excuse me, I've got to get back out there and finish---

---------Mowing the lawn!

2013 by DRR

Author's Note

This is a photo of the Annual Lawnmower Downhill races in Nebraska.
Who knew Lawn mowers could be so much fun, right?

Reviews

[Lydia Shutter]

What a delightful story you told us here.....I think mowing the lawn is like ironing. It is a zen thing. A mindless activity that allows us to roam the imagination while doing a mundane task. The story of the birds in the nest was touching. Very sweet. Lydi**

[poetdoug]

Thanks Lydia. Meditation Muse is where you find it, right!?

[ANTO]

Well done Doug - not only did you manage to transform your lawn but also your fortune. I can see everone looking to their lawn for inspiration with this poem in mind and coffee or tea or four-stroke lol.
Im made up for you my friend.

[Thomas Fitzgerald]

A stark look into the life of another poet, well done, good read.

[Glen Yumang Manese]

Different... yes... interestingly different yes... but if he can do it why not you... with this one... Props to this creative art form... I'm allergic to the stuff called grass... so lawn mowers are out of the question for me... Thanks for the invite...

[poetdoug]

Thank you Glen my friend

[jacob erin-cilberto]

congrats on all of your published articles that were cut from your pen like the blades of grass you split as you mowed them over...and so in return they bowled you over with inspiration.

i used to mow lawns to make money when i was in high school...love the smell of freshly mowed grass...and i remember how i would be going through the motions, often with a power mower, but a push one...and sometimes with a push mower that was not even a power mower...just a little manual push...

but i would just get lost in thought as i mowed....good circumstance in which to cut a lawn and then a poem or article...

enjoyed this taste of a writer's life.

[poetdoug]

Thanks for the review and for the reminder of the fresh aroma of green, green grass of home.

[Karen]

"Who knew there is so much Muse in Mowing the darn ole lawn, right?" This is indeed the question! Amazing poem with quite an exciting Muse, one who rides a lawnmower like She would a Harley, and gives you inspiration just for partaking in her ride! When surrounded by Nature, writers and poets cannot help but write about Her beauty and idiosyncrasies! Great poem!

[poetdoug]

Thanks so much Karen. It was fun to write. I appreciate your great review.

[Sami Khalil]

A very interesting poem on the lawn-mower title. Unique and with relevancy to a lot of us who do that. I like the idea of those races too for that is so much fun and entertaining. I like how you mixed the elements of nature with this as if you don't want to disturb nature's inhabitants...Splendid...:)

[poetdoug]

Thank you Sami. Our dear Mother Nature is full of illustrations, right?!!

[Sami Khalil]

So true and well said...You are welcome...:)