Here in the Woods

I want to say
that it is simpler here,
but there is infinite complexity
everywhere I look.

Life here is focused,
steadfastly determined
to grow,
to repair,
to connect.

The oak sprouts
from a decaying stump,
reaching ever upward.

The spider rebuilds
its intricate web
over and over,
no matter how often
it is torn.

Mycorrhizal fungi
thread their way
beneath the ground,
linking plant to plant,
silently supporting
life above the surface.

I am learning
and unlearning
from these companions
in the natural world.

Like the tree,
the rooted spirit in me
is compelled,
against all odds,
toward the Light.

Like the spider,
the persistent spirit in me
begins again and again.

But most importantly,
the seeking spirit in me
is learning to trust
the deep and invisible
connections
between all living things,
at work
nourishing and healing in ways
far beyond my understanding.

By Maria Brady-Smith
Photo by Mike Smith