Created by the participants in the “Wonderment and the Art of Being Alive” workshop led by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer in January 2022.

Freedom is the wild turkey that trots on the dusty rocks

Love is the aardvark that digs in the gut

Fear is the golden retriever that chews on my pant cuff as I try to get onto the school bus

Shadowy is the cat that creeps in the kitchen

Betrayal is the serpent that ambushes in broad daylight

Kindness is the deer that glides through my heart

Anger is the tiger that stalks in the shadows of my conscious

Ambition is the elephant that smiles in the forest

Fear is the sloth that sleeps in the shadows

Love is the goldfish that glistens in the heart

Guilt is a worm that burrows in your heart

Fear is the lion that roars in the heart

Fear is the snake that lurks in the bush

LOVE is the RIVER OTTER that GLIDES in and out of view

Motherhood is the bear that roars in the embrace

Boredom is the goldfish that swims in the bowl

Dignity is the Horse that rears in the Open Field

Joy is the hummingbird that flutters in the heart

Joy is the mouse that roars in the night

Longing is the thing with claws that roars in my chest

Shame is the armadillo that rolls under a bush

Joy is the kangaroo that bounds across the soul

Worry is the mosquito that buzzes in my ear

Joy is the Lion that stays in the room

Trust is the deer that watches from the tree

Tenderness is the mother elephant gathering babies

Joy is the monkey that dances in the dark

Pleasure is the turtle that crawls on the superhighway

Grief is the cobra that coils in the garden shed

Peace is the dog that steadily walks by our side

Pleasure is the hamster that jogs on his wheel

Sadness is the cow that dawdles in the spirit

Delight is the pelican who plunges into the surf

Desire is the lynx that pads through the heart

Panic is the electric eel that rattles in my brain

Stillness is the hummingbird that hovers in my heart

Jeopardy is the snake that slithers between my choices

Kindness is the dog that sniffs my hand

Peace is the comforter that cuddles the brain

Kindness is the fox that races in the heart

Sorrow is the blue-footed booby that yawns in an easy chair

Beauty is the lion that pounces in the marsh

Wonder is the eagle that soars in the sky.

Fear is the tiger that pounces while we sleep

Vulnerability is the bobcat that slinks into the forest

Love is the dog that wags its tail in my soul.

Rage is the owl that stares but does not stir

Grief is the crab that hides in the damp shadows

Desire is the whale that dives in the bathtub