SEEDLING


I often imagine what it would be like
To be a seed
To be buried by loving hands
Beneath the damp, dark earth
Gently pressed down into the soil
And left to rest among the roots
To hear the heartbeats of all who came before me
To unfurl myself piece by piece
Guided by golden light and whispered hope

I wonder how it would feel
To be connected
To be a part of something greater
Transmitting signals like secrets
In a language only we could understand
To breathe my fears into the darkness
And have a chorus of voices echo back
To be loved by so many
Bound together and entangled as one

I dream of finding you there
Of opening my eyes 
To feel your hands in mine
Clinging to each other in awe
As the dapples of sunlight sway above us
I imagine the way my name would tumble from your lips
Pouring forth like a river
I would rest my head in your arms
And know that finally I am home

Exodus, Arcana Shanks, 2022. Performance with soil and earth.

GUARDIAN

My roots grow deep 
Deep enough to never be reached
My roots grow wide
Wide enough to never be weak

My leaves may fall
My branches may break
My trunk may crack
Let the sap run rivers down my body

I shall never be uprooted
All who are lost find shelter in me

MANY MOTHERS

The earth is my mother
The water is my mother


The soil is my mother  
The rain is my mother 

The dirt is my mother
The river is my mother


My mothers are many
So too am I

Mutual Cores, Arcana Shanks, 2023. Photo credit to Spencer Vandermeer.

REMEMBER ME

You may not know me
But I have known you
I have been with you for eternity

I am the fertile earth that birthed you
I am the stretching sky that blankets you
I am the stars suspended in the blackest night
And I have remembered every wish you whispered to me 

I am the boundless sea that churns below you
I am the thundering storm howling at your doorstep
I am the gentle rains that wash away your tears
And I have caught each one on my fingers as they fell

I am the spark that started your fire
I am the stone marked by your hands
I am the clay that carried your water
And I have held your stories since you began sharing them

You have forgotten me
But I am not truly gone
I am still here waiting for you

Find me in the leaves that flutter in the wind
Tell them your wishes and listen well
My name is hidden within the songs that they sing 

Find me in the golden rays of the sun
Turn your face to the sky and dry your tears
My image is in the colours dancing behind your eyelids

Find me buried in the fragrant soil 
Press your hands deep enough and you will feel me
My body has long since dissipated but my spirit remains

I have been waiting for you
Waiting for you to unearth me
Waiting for you to remember me

Twin Flame, Arcana Shanks, 2022. Ink and gold leaf on stonehenge, with original poetry. Exhibited at TOAP@21 at Island Mountain Arts in Wells, BC.