Tag: nature

On Nature

How is it that a tree can stir my soul, so?
Yet, set amongst the Douglas firs –
an orchestra of giants, the reassurance
of green towering and proud – the music
of my soul is nothing less than symphonic.

How is it that the sky can speak to me?
No words to convey its vastness, yet,
it breathes new life into empty spaces,
whispers promises, ignites a hope
synonymous only with its expanse.

How is it that a body of water – be it
serene, flowing, or turbulent, can tug
at the corners of my emotional well,
create a longing for the unknowable,
toss me from my bed of complacency?

And how does a single flower, growing
wild, crack this shell of indifference –
the determination to blossom despite
harshness of surroundings – instill such
inspiration, motivate me to rejoice?

(Day four of the NaPoWriMo challenges us to use nouns in our writing.  The suggested essay is a good read, so you might want to check it out. )

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Walking Meditation

Under the umbrella
of green-leafed branches,
I pray for insight, for healing

With the river to guide me,
I walk, mindful of nature,
listening, heart open

As I breathe, I acknowledge
limitlessness of sky, life-sustaining
forces of earth, sacred steps

I sacrifice this separateness
to honour the whole, make room
for spirit, numinous connection.

Mountain

I navigate sharp twists,
confront rough trails,
steep slopes, swoon
at dizzying heights,
feel my frailty –

this path is for rugged,
mountain-born,
those accustomed
to the sheer immutable
force of  rock –

and yet, my lens
tells a different tale –
speaks of shadows
shifting, witnesses
mutations of colour

describes a giant
whose facade reflects
the day’s passing light,
demonstrates compassion
in earth’s stillness.

 

Mesquite

Tenacious are we,
will not be derailed
by rock-hard inflexibility
nor disintegrating foundations

we endure, require little
in the way of adulation
or support, self-sufficient
warriors, timeless

we adhere to a call
of evolution, indestructible,
sustained by a productivity
and a steadfast will.

(Inspired by this photo taken at Coon’s Bluff, Tonto National Forest, Arizona.)

Mississippi

She flows, unapologetic of her girth,
does not flinch at barges scoring
her surface nor paddle boats laden
with curiosity; confident in her fluidity

she bears the secrets of life, the sludge
of our history in her belly, stirs the minds
of merchants, voyageurs, and children,
tolerates those who gather at her banks

certain that the final word is hers – no
boundaries can contain her wrath; still
waters rise and spill, she is dragonness,
nature’s force, and she is magnificent.

(Inspired by The Daily Post’s prompt:  sludge and the great Mississippi.  Photo from personal collection)