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Monday, December 20, 2021

REVERENCE

 





I enter the forest as one
stepping into a chapel,
tender footsteps, hushed voice.
My church is an old growth forest,
a congregation of trunks and wings
and paws,
where we Two-Leggeds must
remember we are guests. 

I catch my breath at pungent moss
and old man's beard draped
on branches, tip
back my head to venerate
tall spires, admire the way
the sun shines through
the canopy,
gilding salmonberry
and salal.

Jay and owl and raven,
form the choir, wind whooshing
through the boughs, the orchestra.
Earth is springy underfoot,
soft with pine needles.
In the forest
I am not my thinking brain;
I am my feeling heart.
Within such beauty,
I believe.

The forest is my church,
each rough and mottled trunk
a standing prayer. It breathes
its blessings on we who enter in.
The forest is my church,
trees my religion.

Here there is only
one way to walk:
with reverence.


Inspired by Reverence by Marianne Kunkel

1 comment:

  1. Sherry, I really like the idea that the forest is your church. You expressed feelings so very well. And I agree, that when one is in the forest one cannot help but feeling reverent!!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for visiting. I appreciate it and will return your visit soon.