Breaking Free

Thank you Rochelle for a lovely picture prompt this week for our weekly Friday Fictioneers.
The farm homestead view brings back memories and happy times.

More stories from the Friday Fictioneers participants can be read HERE.

PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

Breaking Free

I love this view. Home and family, with all my wonderful years here.
Ma cooked a chicken roast and baked an apple pie to celebrate my news.

‘Come back soon Jessica, ye hear,’ Pa said. After an awkward hug, he went to tend the horses.
Sister Louise couldn’t swallow the pie and cream. She wiped her tears away and placed her hand over her stomach. ‘My little one is coming soon. You’ll miss out.’

‘Ma, please,’ Jessica said.
Ma let go. ‘Now write every day. Ye hear?’
‘Ma, I’ll call ye.’

Why was leaving to adventure the world so hard?

********

Journey’s Adventure.     

I launched myself into the whirling world.
like a fledgling falling free from its nest.
My nervous stomach butterflies unfold.
and release home’s hold; at last free to test,
my mettle on horizon’s great adventure.

In the sweet mango forests of Belize
amongst the ancient mighty Mayan ruin.
In a temptress trap full of love’s disease,
with tequila’s heat and full voodoo moon.
Ixchel’s beauty masks the mosquito’s bite.^[1]

From Hong Kong’s harbour the silent junks sails
dwarfed by the modern steel container ships.
Where people crowd and push round market stalls
and in bright colours Chinese dragons skip,
as fragile girls dance with painted white faces.

Across the Arab land of sun-drenched heat
by swaying camel over seas of gravel.
A life of milk and sweet dates in spiced meat.
Searching for the Queen of Sheba’s marble.
Wailing sandstorms whistle a homeward tune.

Lonely pyramids one late afternoon
with sky like lavender on flaxen fields.
My heart leaps in sight of an early moon
floating above a flock of flying teals,
going homeward over the Blue Nile.

My life’s journey was a long adventure,
of meeting the world’s people in their homes.
So full of warmth, laughing smiles and humour,
filling my heart and mind with their songs.
Pleading me to stay and to settle – but –   

My home is on the farm where I was born,
in childhood haunts by rivers, woods, and park.
Soft caresses, sweet kisses in the barn.
The taste of homely baking apple tart,
it’s sweet cinnamon wafting warm around, 
familiar embers of a glowing grate. 

Ixchel , Goddess of  Love,http://www.angelfire.com/folk/sunflowerfarm/aMayangoddess.html

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^[1] http://www.angelfire.com/folk/sunflowerfarm/aMayangoddess.html

The Mayan Goddess Ixchel/Xochiquetzal was the Goddess of love, fertility flowers and pleasure.