Now

“And into the forest I go,
to lose my mind
and find my soul.”
John Muir

I bring my troubled mind with me
to our cabin in the forest,
and so, for hours,
I cannot really see,
cannot really hear,
all that surrounds me.

I know.
I need to let go
at least for now.

So I sit and stare off,
I take walks,
intentionally quieting
so that I can look and listen.

Now are the early wildflowers,
now, the delicate emerald oak seedlings.
Now are the tender fern fronds unravelling,
now, the greenest of green new life.

Now is the wind,
now, the skittering of small animals.
Now is the creek flowing,
washing away
last year’s leaf litter.

Now I can feel
my body calming,
my mind opening
to the language of the forest.

Now, I am here,
immersed in this place
of constant healing,
of repairing what is,
of preparing for new life,
even in death and decay.

Now I am reminded that
I can trust the force of nature
that works in and through me,
always adapting,
always dealing and healing,
always coming here
to the forest
to learn and relearn.

By Maria Brady-Smith
Photo by Mike Smith