Tumbleweed Spirit

On By Michele LeeIn nature, Verse

You scratched me,
sometimes bringing blood to the surface.
Wrapped in play and imagination, I did not notice.
You offered see-through walls, never permanent.
We lived in the center of a thorny dream,
in a dusty land of make-believe.
Ruled by the field’s young King and Queen,
our tumbling fortress
did scatter during sleep.

The sun has risen and set many times
since I got lost in your maze of thorns.
Within your scratchy walls, I did find myself.
We have come full circle, you and I.
Standing outside your fortress,
I now find myself reaching in.
Holding the vision
and the hands of carefree children.
It is there, I find myself, once again.

Standing on a concrete foundation, I find myself
watching you tumble down the street.
Your journey, not done.
With each lift and spin,
you give yourself away.
Released seeds, now wind’s fate.

Roots digging deeper
with each passing season.
Rare desert rains did fall,
replenishing and nourishing
your life and the earth.
Winds made you strong.
The sun, although intense,
allowed you to exist,
and taught you resilience.

Then one day,
you detached
from your roots
and tumbled away.

The desert does have its own beauty, but I can’t hug a cactus, and my thorny friends don’t spark my soul like the laughing leaves swaying in the wind.

“What is a Wanderess? Bound by no boundaries, contained by no countries, tamed by no time, she is the force of nature’s course.”

~Roman Payne, The Wanderess

I first wrote about building tumbleweed forts in my third post titled, “Rediscovering My Tumbleweed Spirit.” Reconnecting to play was one of my goals at the start of my blogging/writing journey. I am on my way. Tumbleweed Spirit is also the name of my Pinterest account that Artist Sammi Lee created. Speaking of play… when the desert skies unleashed a major rain last night, I did not just sit by, I danced! It was most divine. ⛈💃🏼 💓 Thank you for visiting and reading. Have a wonderful weekend! Be well. 💗 Michele

Photos 1 & 2: my images, Tucson sunrise (8/7) Photo 3: me and my tumbleweed hair admiring latest print from Artist, Sammi Lee

*Poem best viewed via internet vs. reader (center justified).

© 2021 Michele Lee Sefton.

86 thoughts on “Tumbleweed Spirit”

    1. How kind, thank you, Natalie. 😊 You have included motifs that are fitting for this poem. A great mission, isn’t it? You are a doing fantastic job of doing the same in your life! Yes, dancing in the desert rain is a dream moment brought to life, made more dramatic by thunder and lightening! 🥰 Happy day to you!

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    1. Thank you, Brad. I appreciate your visits here and the thoughts you share. 😊 Desert rain is magnificent and rare. Whenever possible, I will enjoy and celebrate the moment by dancing under her skies. 🥰 Enjoy your weekend. Remember to turn up the music and dance!

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  3. What lovely, liberating moments you have shared! I love that the metaphor can be held on two levels with your relationship to nature and people. This musing will take me outside today with the hope of dancing in the rain and being more fully human. Beautiful!

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  5. So nice to hear you danced with the rain, Michele, welcoming water in return to roots of the tumbleweed, as your resilient vision grows ever stronger. Like you, your poetic expression is beautiful. I also think you made the right decision not to dance with a cactus 🌵🤣 All the best, my friend 🌞🌹

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    1. Oh yes, most glorious! I hope to never miss a chance to do that… under any skies. Thank you so much for visiting and sharing your lovely words of support that offer an expanding vision of my journey. 🙏🏼 We are all making our way in this life – tumbling, running, dancing, resting, writing, learning growing…
      Ha! Right! That is one tango that could leave one in a tangled bloody mess. Ouch!! The best to you too! Enjoy your weekend, wherever your journey may take you. 🌞🌄

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    1. I am inspired by a thought, a memory, a song, or a tumbleweed blowing down the street and then the story tumbles out of me. I am just the messenger, often surprised and enlightened by what shows up (on the page and from my brain). Writing is many things to me, including a journey of self-discovery. Keen observation, there are multiple interpretations and layers in this poem, as it goes with poems. Those that are well-written anyway. 🙃
      I was going to include that song in this post and decided my post was getting too busy, so thank you for doing that for me. Too funny! 😂

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  8. Poetpas

    Ahhhh, now I understand the title of your blog: myinspiredlife 😁 A tumbleweed lends itself to many ‘moving’ stories. Go with the flow, carried by wind fast and slow…
    You certainly are a good messenger as you deliver a decent story! Not bad for a teacher 😂

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    1. Oh good! It is wonderful to be understood. 😁 Bravo, good one(s)! Yes, many directions one can go with a tumbling tumbleweed. 😆 Thank you, very decent and kind of you to mention. 😊 haha Yes, teachers (like me) can ramble on, losing track of their story and losing their class along the way. I am a work in progress.

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    1. Glad you like my poem, Rebecca. 😊 Your story sounds entertaining, and one that would make wonderful content for a children’s book. Yes, those cacti, they can be a bit standoffish, as they should be.😉 Happy weekend wishes to you!

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  11. Timothy Price

    The spirits of tumbleweeds and their progeny are plentiful out here. The are large and green tight now in areas managed, but not well managed, by the Village and conservancy. In the springtime, legions of tumbleweeds advance with the winds, covering up, clogging all the lies in their path. Excellent poem.

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    1. Thank you for sharing descriptions from your landscape. I can imagine it as I read your words. To see tumbleweeds now in manicured and HOA managed neighborhoods is rare, but a windy storm will send a few tumbling about. With the Phoenix area sprawling like it has over the years, one must head out into the pristine desert to see them in their full thorny glory.😆 We built tumbleweed forts out of them when I was a kid. The dirt field where we played, which included a treehouse, was long ago covered with concrete and houses.😞 Thank you so much! Enjoy your weekend – no doubt capturing your beautiful surroundings with your camera.

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  12. That’s a beautiful n lovely poem dear Michele, I felt like you dedicated this one to specifically the 🌵 n the beauty of birds nest you captured while you were on winding road trip. I loved it so much ❤🤗🥰

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    1. Thank you sweet Suma. 🌻 The spirit of the tumbleweed, rolling along, guided by nothing but the wind, moved me to write this. I appreciate learning what stood out to you. 😊 Beautiful thoughts. Have an inspired Sunday lovely lady. 🌞

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    1. I knew as soon as I wrote that first tumbleweed story, two years ago, that the phrase, “tumbleweed spirit” had great meaning for me. I am delighted that it stirs something in you as well. Seeing them roll through the streets used to be more common… that is the topic for another poem. 😁 Thank you so much! I just harnessed the spirit of a tumbling weed – leaving behind its poetic inspiration and seeds. 💖 Best to you and congrats on your latest publication. I am so proud of you!

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    1. Thank you so much David. 💗 I became enamored by the characteristics and journey of the tumbleweed when I wrote my first tumbleweed story – about building tumbleweed forts as a child. Like so many of us in America, it is not native to the soil, yet it has become a symbol for the wild west. Its tumbling, yet giving spirit are themes that I connect with and one that continues to show up in my writing, and down the street. 😆 Enjoy your Sunday. 🌞

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  15. This is such a wonderful beautiful post – takes me to a different realm of our world. I love how you say you can’t hug a cactus, only admire their beauty. I absolutely enjoyed reading the description of the Wanderess – how apt to describe the untamable, unconfined nature, I love the personification of it.

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    1. What a gorgeous compliment. Thank you, Pragalbha. 😊 Yes, best to keep a distance from the spikey plants – an abundance of them out on the trails. Some do offer beautiful blooms in the spring time – also best enjoyed from a distance. I came across that “wanderess” quote and have added that author to my must read list. I may have to move him closer to the top, for the reasons you describe, so beautifully. 😄 I appreciate your insights and wish for you an inspired weekend. 🌞

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    1. Thank you so much, Jeff. Your beautiful description of the journey of the tumbleweed adds additional interest and meaning to this poem. I love it. These exchanges, between writers, enriches the writing process… learning how others see and interpret our work is so engaging. Thank you. Have a joyous day my sweet friend. 💛

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    1. I love the idea of a poem being a lovely oasis. 💗 Especially living in the southwest, where an escape from the heat is needed this time of year. Thank you for enjoying the pictures. I sure enjoy taking them. 😊 I will do my best to stay cool. 🙏🏼 Have a wonderful weekend. 🌻

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      1. Reminds me of a time on a dromedary trip in the Sahara (Tunisia) – for a stay in a small oasis, the animals should be catered for as well. With whole raw cactus pieces. The native showed for entertainment, holding cactus piece with his lips – then the dromedary took the piece very carefully. The native discovered I was laughing, so he suggested I try too. I did so – to tease the animal I grabbed the cactus piece with my teeth. The dromedary tried carefully without success to take the piece. Then it tried again with more strength, which resulted in it giving me a proper kiss. Everyone except me laughed out loud. Can tell that dromedaries are very unshaven and extremely bad breath.. 😀 😀 😀

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  20. it is amazing of the parallels that other life forms share with our life form. The spirituality piece of everything that needs a seed. Being rooted is how they and we grow. Even when taken out of our natural environment. I thought about the tumbleweed being guided by the wind without any resistance is us being guided by our passions, dreams, or love seeing where they might lead us. Personification and relations are moving and can teach us a lot. Just like your poetry and insights from your journeys do!

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    1. Beautiful perspectives, Tony. Even great endeavors start with a thought seed. You add many more layers to this poem that I appreciate and find engaging. Thank you! One of the ideas that the “tumbleweed spirit” represents to me is continuing to grow/expand/give without being attached to a fixed root. We are different than plants that way, but I do think having stability/being “rooted” is important for growth, especially when people are young. Of course being rooted can include having strong spiritual/inner guidance. Your comparison of wind and passions/dreams resonates with me. Thank you for your thoughtful engagement. Have a wonderful week. 🌻

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    1. Thank you for appreciating my photos. Sunrise is a gorgeous time of day. It is a joy to capture that time with my camera. I love how you have described my poem. 😊 You are very kind, thank you – my hair gets wild this time of year with humidity. 🌪 Have a wonderful week! 🌼

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    1. Thank you for your visit and comment, Mitch. Your comment, “sweet-sad” is a reflection of life too.💓 The tumbleweed detaching is sad in some respects, but its spreading of seeds, beyond its roots, and its giving of life when it seems “done” are beautiful concepts to me. 😊 Have a wonderful week.

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  23. Pingback: Tumbleweed Spirit – MobsterTiger

  24. What an awesome anthology of thoughts and experiences about tumbleweeds Michele. I love the way you utilize and weave your environment and ecological observations with your personal warmth, poetic emotions, and embrace. 🙏🏼

    While there is a physical sadness with this encounter, there is such a refreshing appreciation and revelation for its presence. Beautiful girlfriend. I adore your message! Have a FANtabulous week sweetie pie! 🥧💖💐✨😍

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    1. I love the way you weave words. Thank you – you are amazing! I suppose I am connected to and sensitive to my surroundings, whether that be with the weeds or tall trees. 😁 A common trait of writers and poets, I am sure. You have so beautifully articulated one of the messages this tumbling story offers me. 🙏🏼 Much gratitude for you. 💖🤗 You too!

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      1. My friend, you are truly welcome. 🤗 Oh Michele, my bell…you are indeed artistically savvy with your words my dear. I really love the way you give us a visual representation of your connection with your surroundings and how your surroundings impact your thoughts and your spirit. That’s why we can relate so effortlessly. 👏🏼❤🙏🏼

        Continue feeding us with your stories of encouragement and passion! 💖❣❤ I adore that! Hugs and smooches!!! 🤗🥰😘

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      2. Kym, I am sending you a sincere thank you. Your words made my day and give me a wonderful reason to pause my tumbling spirit for a moment and let your words sink in. 💓 You are such a beautiful writer and woman. 🙇🏼‍♀️ Thank you for giving my stories, observations, and passions such a welcoming reception. Catch you soon! 🤗 😘💐

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      3. You are such a dear heart Michele. ❤️ Your endearing words made my day girlfriend and I truly thank you for your kindness, sincerity, and love. We do need those moments to pause and reflect don’t we?

        I appreciate you ladybug. Stay focused, encouraged, and empowered! 💪🏽 Oh, and don’t forget to take your dance break today! 💃👯‍♀️🕺Whoohoo 🤣😜😂

        Liked by 1 person

  25. Such a beautiful poem Michele of Tumbleweed reflecting our lives in this same way as we root, grow and reemerge.
    Great lines and loved this one;

    “{Roots digging deeper
    with each passing season.
    Rare desert rains did fall,
    replenishing and nourishing
    your life and the earth.
    Winds made you strong.
    The sun, although intense,
    allowed you to exist,
    and taught you resilience.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  28. Pingback: Prickly Conversations (audio) – My Inspired Life

    1. I do see how and why you would interpret the poem that way. I love how poems can have multiple meanings. Some offer a different meaning for every reader. Thank you so much for the visit and comment. 😊

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  30. Pingback: The Desert INvites a journey withIN – My Inspired Life

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