by Julie Harrison

We are the wild things
a tangle of creatures creeping, crawling
a flash of birds shrieking, calling
a rush of spirits shimmering, soaring
boldly into unknown time.

We are the wild things
beauty-beasts covered with fur
feathers, scales, oil, and silk
treading lightly, softly stepping
rushing, ranging through fear and dread

We are the wild things
hanging nests from rocky crests
burrowed deep within the soil
softly laid on forest floor
built with bricks and hammered wood

We are the wild things
a mingle of wind, trees, and starshine
rain, blossoms, thunder, sunshine
swishing tails, flexing wings
perfuming the land as we go.

We are the wild things
Sometimes lying low and resting
slithering, stomping, dancing, dying
roaming the earth, together, alone
on and on through time’s terrain.

We are the wild things
stretching our souls in twilight splendor
growling, roaring, echoing thunder
croaking, whispering, mumbling music
blending our best with His own.

Julie Harrison is a retired English and biology teacher who is part of Paoli Mennonite Fellowship, Paoli, Ind. She has been writing poems most of her life and sometimes shares them with her church.