Infernal trek!
Wasted, mindless days
these chains of self-reproach
Will I never reach
yearned for peace?
Carry this burden
into the wind,
feet shuffling
eyes skyward
Stalwart trees
observe my passage,
birds offer accompaniment,
sun’s warmth charms
Nature intervenes –
peace is present.
(My image)
Rain-infused greens
inspire whimsical thoughts –
surely there are sprites
frolicking amongst the mossy boughs,
sheltering beneath ancient roots
whose twisted tendrils rise and dip
in rhythm to Earth’s pulses.
The muddied path pushes back
against my weary legs, invites me
to sit awhile, wonder at the impossible
heights from which birdsong flits across
treetops, pinging back from unseen
distances, unhindered by human progress.
Salmonberries, newly popped,
herald the seasonal shift,
and I watch as a slug undulates
slowly past, antennae bobbing,
the black spots of its tail reptilian.
Below me, lantern-like blooms
of yellow sprout at creek’s edge
their pungent aroma carried by
the still chilled vernal breeze.
A red-breasted nuthatch scurries
up a neighbouring fir, while two robins
flirt playfully on the rainforest floor,
hopping amongst the freshly flowered
trilliums, their white crowns a regal
presence in this place of enchantment.
(Image my own)
Morrell Nature Sanctuary first appeared on One Woman’s Quest II in April, 2018. Morrell Nature Sanctuary is on Vancouver Island, Canada.
Wish I could converse –
one harmonic voice blended
in a symphony of birdsong –
but my tongue stumbles
reveals me as interloper
As much as I tread softly
over forest floor, my missteps
crackle, alert the denizens
danger is about – no imploring
can reverse the impression
Nature’s sensitivity is finely tuned
and I am urban-scented, barely
tolerated, seldom trusted –
must bear my reverence for this
sacred space more deliberately.
(Image my own)
Munificence of woods
forestalls growing angst,
imminence of need
Sheltered beneath
a canopy of leaves
I am armoured
paused
peaceful
reflecting
Tomorrow can wait.
(Image my own)
Eagle arrives
and I am at once
small, insignificant
Breath held
I am stillness
basking in majesty
Till ubiquitous crow
calls his cronies,
chases eagle off
Everything gains perspective.
(Tuesdays, I borrow from Twitter @Vjknutson. Image my own.)
Nature leaves her fingerprint
on this land; River pushes on,
her perseverance a reminder
that all is flow, and what feels
like an ending, is indeed
just a passage in time:
Carry on.
(Tuesdays, I borrow from Twitter @Vjknutson. Image my own)
Is it the stillness
of the rock pool
that draws me
again and again?
Authority eludes –
is not my own –
I dodge hawk-eyed
critics, am weighted
down…struggling
to resurface…
Crave tranquil
company, a chance
to breathe…
unseen…
Nature always the key
(Image my own)
Wind carries Autumn’s song
and I am crawling out of a nightmare
Insides churning widdershins
thoughts grasping for a forward pull
Have been to the edge,
touched the volatile
Birdsong breaks solemnity
I catch a ray of light.
(Tuesdays, I borrow from Twitter @Vjknutson
Last September, I was in hospital fighting
through a life threatening condition.
I penned this there. Image my own.)
Nature has a way of reminding –
even the most diehard nonbelievers –
that a force, inexplicable and sacred, exists
Like an unseasonal storm unleashing hail
waking us from a deep slumber –
she is a messenger, knocking
The soul answers, child reawakened,
joyous recognition that despite all
theories, doctrines, and delusions
There exists a life within a life:
a great mystery that defies
and keeps us ever humble.
(Revisiting old posts, I found these words.
To see the original, posted in September 2014, click here.
Image my own.)
Nightfall, river calls
tranquility leaves footprints
on my soul, this life
seldom calm, craves redemption –
river throws calm and I fetch.
(Image my own)
One Woman's Quest 