Freedom

tree branches tangle
holdings hands cautiously
just brushing the fingertips
like teenage lovers
above the fairytale path leading to grandmother's house
or to the witch's castle.
a path diligently followed because
whatever the ending
the journey was a story of magic.
summer heat and winter snow
mix in a time paused land.
real.
but not a reality recognized
by the human inhabitants.
nature loves here
unassisted by man,
trapped in a reality with no escape
from the zoo of offices
and the circus of education
and the rodeos of commitments.
is that why we insist on chaining and caging?
because we chained and caged ourselves
without realizing the consequences
neglecting the freedom of nature.
we built fences to keep the outside out
and ended up fencing our souls in.
what is freedom
but another fence
to keep one thing away
from another?

6.10.2011