Description of peace found in meditation during a quiet time in a wood |
A journey in the wood I went for a walk in the wood the other day Such a pretty day, the wind so soft and sun gently warm I felt the glow on my back as I ambled down the path And the stir of air cooled my cheeks The trees whispered quietly, swaying in time to my feet I caught the cry of a finch, startled unaware Moved by the snap of the twig underfoot My heart reached out to soothe But it fled spreading fear and the silence deepened So I sat down on the fallen log in my way My eyes closed and my ears awoke Oh there…a cricket starts to fiddle And the bee kisses the flower, taking and giving life A royal symphony in A minor wing conducted by a squirrel Keeping time, flicking her tail, clicking her teeth My nose twitched, scent of honey so sweet Flavors of tiny wood rose, truly fleeting and faint Tangled with the pepper sweet smell of crushed grass My soul drank deeply, hungrily, needing to fill Feasting on earthly humors rising from the soil Contentment sank in slowly, easing away The stress of the day not yet done As I gave myself up to a slower time, a stasis of kind One by one, the cares stilled their voices Til I was left with only myself, so heavy, immobile And on the bosom of life, I searched myself, naked For what I had become, what I once was Questioning my path, inspecting my motive Where was the truth, the control, and my destiny Have they all fled in abandon, then ? I released my consciousness, seeing from the inside Inspecting my body, childlike, without restraint Ah ..proud muscle, sturdy bone, tender heart, such a fine mind Flawed, yes, but alive, regrowing, scars slowly dissolving Busy, keeping its own schedule, Natures pendulum swaying I marveled at the music I played inside Turning chemicals to motion, thought and hope A child’s voice sang out in two part harmony Beckoning to me, flashing images like a sign All wayposts from the past, playing at the speed of light Too soon the dream state lightened, nature calling It pulled me up, up, inexorably faster And I popped into the light, breathing fast Sound exploded on me, echoing my rebirth The wood rejoiced and joined with me Leaving me refreshed and whole again It is not often enough, this renaissance, this pause The call is faint so late in life Pressing needs shout it down We must all be vigilant then and listen intently for The call to take a walk, down the path in the wood Milburn 9-2008 |