Basking in the sunlight
Regenerate, grow and gather power
Speaking of healing by shedding skins
And creating and holding the space to heal
A delivery from the Mother below us
Directly to the bloodstream
Messages and medicines without judgement or bias
Some hard, some soft, but all important
Hiding within the dark places and waiting
Teaching to be alert and aware
But also seeking to transform comfort
Into something more fragile
Creating a shadow that blankets
The human psyche in paranoia
Bringing a fear for the one-in-a-million
Making us afraid to step outside
You have bitten me … kissed me… are within me
A strange brother to the other spirits that guide me
And while you have given me this strange medicine
To help compel healing for me and others
You have also left me aware of my fears
And all of these gifts I can only accept with gratitude
This is my journey
— Nate Long “Owl”
Yes, it is true, I was bit by a rattlesnake on June 4, 2019 and spent three days in the hospital. Snake was kind and has left no visible long-term damage.
Pen and ink with digital manipulation