Once upon a time, many years ago, around a tiny campfire inside Yellowstone National Park, my wife and I sat quietly together enjoying nature and sore muscles from a long day of hiking and sight seeing. A fox, red and sleek, trotted right through our campsite between where we sat and where the embers of our fire burned. They glanced at us, we watched them, and they continued on into the forest again without a backwards glance. I felt then, as I still do now, like I won some sort of lottery in that moment, not just to see such a gorgeous creature, but to share calm and ease with them and them with me.
i see you. i feel you. and i am with you. you are full-bodied sacred.
foxes, in my opinion, are the most magnificent creatures on this earth. they have long inspired me to be in my aliveness and play, no matter the space. thank you for sharing your aliveness with us, in such a dark context, when words are hard to find.
I feel seen by your words, Kate. Thank you for this gift. And oh, yes... foxes are truly magnificent, and I love how they have inspired you through your life. Big love to you.
This is a poignant and beautiful trickle of the intense, immense emotion you're holding, friend. I felt it in the soft pulp of my center. Your photos were powerful punctuation marks. Reading this sent me to fetch a book on animal symbolism by the late, great Ted Andrews. Of foxes, he says they are an animal of the in-between times (dusk/dawn, although with the damage to habitat and light pollution, I think that's less so) and also imbued with the magic of camouflage, shapeshifting and invisibility. So maybe we are not only two hunted species, but two clever species whose magic will help us in trying to survive. Thank you for sharing your art and your heart here. 🦊🩵🩷🤍
Oh my. Thank you for this animal symbolism, dear friend... It is heartening to flip the coin and see, on the other side, this image of two clever species imbued with a magic of camouflage, shapeshifting and invisibility that will help us survive being hunted. I love this so much. I'm so grateful for your contributions. xx
I’m glad it feels heartening…I know that for me right now, the line between support and fixing or bypassing can feel so flimsy. Never will I intentionally try to fix or rush anyone out of feelings right now. Thank you again for your beautiful share. <3
I am so sorry this is happening. Sending lots of love and allyship from across the pond in the UK. It's a beautiful poem. In the last week, I've been hearing the foxes call to each other outside my flat at night.
I love that you have heard the foxes, Georgie... it moves me, imagining what it would be like to hear them calling to each other. Thank you for this image and the love.
Thank you, Phoenix. Near our house we see fox tracks in the snow all the time. Saturday evening we saw one run down the lane. We, too, have been pondering our existence and looking for signs that we belong— thanks to you, the foxes will be a symbol of love and belonging.
This broke me. I am so sorry this is happening. So horrified by the cruelty for its own sake - and by the people who celebrate it, and forsake the kind of beauty you just created. I’ll never understand it. Sending you so much love, Phoenix.
I will never understand this cruelty, either, Ally. And thank goodness for that, I suppose. I'm so heartened by the love, outrage and solidarity streaming from all over the world on behalf of the many who are endangered. Thank you for being one of these beautiful humans. Sending love right back to you.
You are in my prayers, my good thoughts, my heart. I’m looking for ways I can embrace my trans and gender-unique siblings. Please know you are loved by people who don’t officially know you.
This kind of love and embrace, from people who don't officially know me, continues to feed my hope and belief that there are more people who have our back than we know. Thank you for being one of them, Laura. Truly.
I see you my friend 🧡 I recognize your humanness and your beauty. My heart hurts for you 💔 and others I love. I don't experience it myself but I Feel so much now
You are beautiful and your words are deeply touching. You have been on my mind with everything that has been going on. It is terrifying and I hope you can feel frequently that there is 'There is more to all this than the horror. ' May you be safe and loved.
💙 Beautiful words Phoenix… the more I am outside working, the more (?) alive I feel ! Sore maybe, but different in a better way… hugs for you… be safe… 🫂🌈☮️
I hear you, Rick. That's where I feel most alive, too (and yes to that better-kind-of-soreness). Thank you for the hugs and the safe wishes... Sending them to you as well 🫂🌈
Beautiful poem. Thank you. I have trans youth in my college classes who are talking about what is happening and I am so sorry. Making an open, loving space for them. Also I am with you.
Phoenix, how can we check in with you, my love? I want more than anything for you and your love and your lives to be safe and warm, and to feel loved ❤️
Hi Phoenix! You drew me in with your plant talks (more like conversations) and then told us abt yourself. Your light is bright in my eyes, your plant knowledge is in my self-interest, and so I hope life eases up and you can contemplate Nature in your time and space, and then share with us! Thank you for all of that 🤗
Once upon a time, many years ago, around a tiny campfire inside Yellowstone National Park, my wife and I sat quietly together enjoying nature and sore muscles from a long day of hiking and sight seeing. A fox, red and sleek, trotted right through our campsite between where we sat and where the embers of our fire burned. They glanced at us, we watched them, and they continued on into the forest again without a backwards glance. I felt then, as I still do now, like I won some sort of lottery in that moment, not just to see such a gorgeous creature, but to share calm and ease with them and them with me.
This *is* like winning a kind of lottery. I understand why this has stayed with you through the years. Thank you, friend.
i see you. i feel you. and i am with you. you are full-bodied sacred.
foxes, in my opinion, are the most magnificent creatures on this earth. they have long inspired me to be in my aliveness and play, no matter the space. thank you for sharing your aliveness with us, in such a dark context, when words are hard to find.
big love.
I feel seen by your words, Kate. Thank you for this gift. And oh, yes... foxes are truly magnificent, and I love how they have inspired you through your life. Big love to you.
This is a poignant and beautiful trickle of the intense, immense emotion you're holding, friend. I felt it in the soft pulp of my center. Your photos were powerful punctuation marks. Reading this sent me to fetch a book on animal symbolism by the late, great Ted Andrews. Of foxes, he says they are an animal of the in-between times (dusk/dawn, although with the damage to habitat and light pollution, I think that's less so) and also imbued with the magic of camouflage, shapeshifting and invisibility. So maybe we are not only two hunted species, but two clever species whose magic will help us in trying to survive. Thank you for sharing your art and your heart here. 🦊🩵🩷🤍
Oh my. Thank you for this animal symbolism, dear friend... It is heartening to flip the coin and see, on the other side, this image of two clever species imbued with a magic of camouflage, shapeshifting and invisibility that will help us survive being hunted. I love this so much. I'm so grateful for your contributions. xx
I’m glad it feels heartening…I know that for me right now, the line between support and fixing or bypassing can feel so flimsy. Never will I intentionally try to fix or rush anyone out of feelings right now. Thank you again for your beautiful share. <3
I am so sorry this is happening. Sending lots of love and allyship from across the pond in the UK. It's a beautiful poem. In the last week, I've been hearing the foxes call to each other outside my flat at night.
I love that you have heard the foxes, Georgie... it moves me, imagining what it would be like to hear them calling to each other. Thank you for this image and the love.
Thank you, Phoenix. Near our house we see fox tracks in the snow all the time. Saturday evening we saw one run down the lane. We, too, have been pondering our existence and looking for signs that we belong— thanks to you, the foxes will be a symbol of love and belonging.
Bast, thank YOU for reinforcing the love and belonging offered in these fox sightings.
This broke me. I am so sorry this is happening. So horrified by the cruelty for its own sake - and by the people who celebrate it, and forsake the kind of beauty you just created. I’ll never understand it. Sending you so much love, Phoenix.
I will never understand this cruelty, either, Ally. And thank goodness for that, I suppose. I'm so heartened by the love, outrage and solidarity streaming from all over the world on behalf of the many who are endangered. Thank you for being one of these beautiful humans. Sending love right back to you.
You are in my prayers, my good thoughts, my heart. I’m looking for ways I can embrace my trans and gender-unique siblings. Please know you are loved by people who don’t officially know you.
This kind of love and embrace, from people who don't officially know me, continues to feed my hope and belief that there are more people who have our back than we know. Thank you for being one of them, Laura. Truly.
I see you my friend 🧡 I recognize your humanness and your beauty. My heart hurts for you 💔 and others I love. I don't experience it myself but I Feel so much now
I say it again, thank you for your beautiful humanity, my friend 💖
Powerful, powerful poetry. Had me holding my breath. Thank you.
Oh. Nelly, thank you.
You are beautiful and your words are deeply touching. You have been on my mind with everything that has been going on. It is terrifying and I hope you can feel frequently that there is 'There is more to all this than the horror. ' May you be safe and loved.
Thank you, dear friend. Your words are always a balm of recognition.
Beautiful, powerful and fragile words 🦊
💙 Beautiful words Phoenix… the more I am outside working, the more (?) alive I feel ! Sore maybe, but different in a better way… hugs for you… be safe… 🫂🌈☮️
I hear you, Rick. That's where I feel most alive, too (and yes to that better-kind-of-soreness). Thank you for the hugs and the safe wishes... Sending them to you as well 🫂🌈
💙 Thanks my friend, keep writing… it helps
Stunning poem! This part especially filled me with so many complicated emotions:
"each time an ache of recognition
too convenient to call
coincidence
an understanding passing between
two hunted species
I hope you catch me
streaking stealthy through the woods
a flash of real living flesh
before I disappear
back into the arms of wild"
Thank you for sharing your beautiful self with the world! Keep shining ❤️
This means a lot to hear... Poems are meant to be felt deeply, and I'm grateful you felt these words ❤️
Beautiful poem. Thank you. I have trans youth in my college classes who are talking about what is happening and I am so sorry. Making an open, loving space for them. Also I am with you.
Heather, I'm so grateful to hear these trans students have an open, loving space in your classroom. Thank you for being with them. And with me.
🙏🏻 🏳️⚧️ ❤️
Phoenix, how can we check in with you, my love? I want more than anything for you and your love and your lives to be safe and warm, and to feel loved ❤️
Aocm, I feel floored by your desire to check in and I feel your heart in your words. That is enough. Sending you big love.
Hi Phoenix! You drew me in with your plant talks (more like conversations) and then told us abt yourself. Your light is bright in my eyes, your plant knowledge is in my self-interest, and so I hope life eases up and you can contemplate Nature in your time and space, and then share with us! Thank you for all of that 🤗