What is Your Spirit Animal?

by Judy Kennedy

Title

What is Your Spirit Animal?

Artist

Judy Kennedy

Medium

Photograph - Photo

Description

My trail cam caught a Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) getting a drink from one of my ground level birdbaths at night. He then waddled over to a nice spot where he could takeoff between the creosote bushes and the cactus. This took place on June 27, 2018 about 50 miles southwest of Phoenix in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, and you can watch the whole thing at
https://youtu.be/Sbe2tD-T8EU. When playing around with effects I came across this one. The title emerged out of an exercise of free associations that went something like this:

What is your spirit animal?
the owl inquires
from the ball of blue
when looking at you
with his piercing eyes
a fine surprise
as you whirl around
for the source of the sound
you reply in kind
as if to find
how to form the words
which are seldom heard
is it you my friend?
we cannot pretend
that a bird’s in the ball
for no reason at all
why not a snake
or a fish in the lake?
an elephant so big
or a tiny pink pig?
a spider in her lair
or a tall brown bear
a dog or a cat
an ape or a rat
what makes you so special
a saint or a devil
to have all this power
to ask at this hour
why did you appear
and awaken such fear
when there was none before
as I opened the door
to begin anew
in purples and blues
a path to find out
what it’s really about
and isn’t it me
who’s supposed to be
the one who is asking
and not the one basking
in darkening hues
so softly infused
and how’d you get in
on a ray or a wind
Will you fly away
or simply stay
until an answer comes
when deeming is done
and I finally spy
the image I seek
in the truth I speak
from the head and the heart
a good way to start
and a different way to see
what is wild and so free
reflected in part
through this silly random art
(and poem too)
thank you!

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October 21st, 2018

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