In honor of the crown

I've felt honored to be such a large part of Debbie's crown of sonnets. The truth is, I've always been a little hesitant to reveal the true nature of my lifestyle. I know that the hunting and killing of wild animals is a sensitive subject for many people...and I respect that. What is natural for me, just a part of everyday life, can be shocking to some. It's for that reason, in my near three years here, that I've always held back my true nature to an extent. I didn't want to be seen as heartless, cruel, or just another dumb redneck. It's something that I've struggled with in the past...ashamed to tell people where I'm from or what I do. It's been a very long time since I've felt THAT way, but I will admit that I came to the soup with that attitude...feeling like I should just blend in in order to be accepted....or liked(is a better word). I'm something of an oddity, I reckon. I like poetry. I like writing it, reading it, hearing it. I see it in the things I do and the places I go. Words are always a part of me, and a glance at a scene of the woods(a scene that other folks around here wouldn't give a second look) can well up inside me in images and words, and stay with me for a long time. I can get emotional watching a leaf drift over the river, and then go elbow deep in deer guts without batting an eye. Strange combination, maybe. But what am I going on about?...I don't know. Maybe it's that I've realized since I've been here at the soup (and been blessed to know so many good people) that I'm better when I'm just me. My poetry is better when I'm not trying to make it "acceptable". It's more real when I just embrace what I am...the gentle and soft-hearted lover of poetry...meets the bloody handed hunter. He who sees the beauty of a goose in flight.....and then shoots it down, tears its head off, yanks its guts out, and eats it without a single regret. So that's me. Like it. Hate it. Nothing changes the fact that I am..and I ain't changin'.
  So, having said all that, here's what I had in mind. In honor of Debbie's crown of sonnets, her hard work, and the hard work of all the people that wrote for it....I feel it only fair to go live it for a couple of days. This afternoon I'm throwing on a backpack, and taking off into Dagmar...a huge, tricky wood near this area. Im not taking food or water, but I will have a small pot to boil water in. I'll be hunting or gathering all my food and building shelters to sleep in...no tents allowed. Assuming I don't get too lost, I plan to be out by Sunday morning. I'll also have my phone for emergencies and to take pictures. I'll have some paper and a pen, so I can write a poem or two. Monday I will post a blog with pictures of my experience and poems to go with it. It will be my tribute to the crown of sonnets....wish me luck.