Soil


When we are deprived
of the feel and touch
of soil we become diminished -
it's as if our nature draws 
nourishment and meaning
from what it holds -
our history, our beginnings.

Children know it
and plunge fingers into earth,
sometimes lifting it to their mouths
out of an instinctive need
to take in the mystery.
Parents are horrified 
and rush to stop 
the tasting. 
Soil becomes dirt.

When we lose contact
with soil, a sacred connection
to the world is lost. Our upward
gaze to the heavens or the inward
focus on ourselves can blind us
to what is below,
the medium out of which
life and our very souls grow.

Copyright © | Year Posted 2025



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Date: 3/16/2025 6:50:00 PM
I love eating dirt to this day. Keeps ya healthy and young. I love this. Great write. Thanks for sharing!
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Willason Avatar
Paul Willason
Date: 3/17/2025 5:53:00 AM
Good to hear from you Benjamin...thankyou for reading the poem and your kind words. Freshly picked vegetables with a little residual dirt...nothing better ! Cheers, Paul
Date: 3/16/2025 2:58:00 PM
I sure know what you mean, Paul. I grew up on a farm and spent more time in the fields with my Dad then doing house chores with my Mom. I really miss digging in the dirt. Apartment living has kept my hands clean but missing the feel of a trowel. ps... I had a special spot for eating dirt when I was a child.
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Willason Avatar
Paul Willason
Date: 3/17/2025 5:48:00 AM
There you go...soil has obviously nurtured and fed that lovely soul of yours...the childhood diet worked. So good to get such feedback ...sharing your experiences, adds to pleasure of writing...thankyou Lin.
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