Earth element and Sweaty Betty body blues poem

It is appropriate for the earth element to be represented by something that is visually heavy, solid, grounded, and has strength.

This abstract watercolour references rock, soil, and chalk in yellow, oranges, red, brown, and white. Metals of gold and silver. Amethyst, emerald, and plants are shown in purple and green.

The poem reflects on changes to my body living life on Earth, the planet.

Sweaty Betty body blues

‘I can’t live if living is without you’* ear worm………

Why is it dry, oily, and moist?
Are they sunspots, freckles, liver spots or moles?
When and why did the lines, wrinkles, crows feet, and crêpe texture first appear?
Surely not from rare UK sunny days or coconut oil frazzled lobster red to peeling brown trips abroad?
Or from living in antipidean glare?

Journeyed from Johnson’s lotion slathered babe
Through acne ravaged, Clearasil cleansed teen,
Twenties, thirties, forties; Clarins, Lancaster, Clinique treated T zone, factor 10 to 30 suncream
To fifties, sixties; Simple, Nivea, Olay, spf 50+ sunscreen, and shade.

Joie de vivre patina of itches scratches, burns, grazes, cuts, bites, blackheads, blisters, blemishes, bruises, fungal rashes, warts, tags, scars, ingrowing hairs and whiskers, and blocked pores.
And,
Yo-yoing weight stretches, sagging wobbling rolls and folds loosening; losing battle against gravitational pull and aging.

Sweaty Betty body blues; love the skin you’re in!

*Harry Nilsson 1971

More Precious than Gold

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A breath or breeze bringing music, a kiss;
It’s cool, it’s hot, it’s crisp, it’s warm, it’s cold;
Carrying Winter’s chill and Summer’s bliss.
What wealth would be reaped if twas caught and sold!

Fair sylphs ‘twined within the east wind do whirl
With graceful ease o’er rainbows wide they dance;
Through fluffy clouds on thermals fast they twirl,
They soar. Are they in danger? Not a chance!

Cannot be seen; doesn’t mean it’s not there,
Lots’ around yet far more precious than gold.
Endangered? For now there’s enough to share.
Can be cut with a knife; just try to hold!

During darkness of night and light of day,
Ideas and thoughts are shed just like feathers
Free as sweet incense floating up, away.
Not one’s intent? Best to attach tethers!

Anger can be heard as clear as a bell,
The strife of life cannot be ignored.
How can we tell if it’s heaven or hell?
Listen for the hoard or the lord with sword.

Wide eyed fairy’s sigh heard from on high,
Warn those below “trouble comes, be away”,
Shy souls now cry out in fright as they fly,
“No good will come; now go, leave the affray”.

Strained moments pass the tension is immense,
Time to think is bought and conflict caught short,
Need not choose from flight or fight, they’ve seen sense,
Once again destructive thought’ve come to naught.

(c) Robert Jones 2013, All Rights Reserved