Dear all,
Do you ever take a moment whilst out walking – or just in your garden – to stop and rest in the company of nature? To bathe your senses in the scents, sounds and sights of woodlands? To fall into the hold of the long grasses of wild meadows?
I would just like to share this poem – as an inspiration perhaps – to rest in the company of the natural world – or even to sleep out under the stars?
Sleeping in the forest
I thought the earth remembered me, she
took me back so tenderly, arranging
her dark skirts, her pockets
full of lichens and seeds. I slept
as never before, a stone
on the riverbed, nothing
between me and the white fire of the stars
but my thoughts, and they floated
light as moths among the branches
of the perfect trees. All night
I heard the small kingdoms breathing
around me, the insects, and the birds
who do their work in the darkness. All night
I rose and fell, as if in water, grappling
with a luminous doom. By morning
I had vanished at least a dozen times
into something better.
Mary Oliver
Next time you’re out walking in nature, why not take a moment to stop? Sit or lie down for 20 minutes and open yourself up to the simple question “What do I notice?”
There’s no pressure to notice or feel anything in particular – just a soft, welcoming focus to explore the life within you (thoughts, body sensations, emotions) and around you (scents, sights, sounds), simply an opportunity to rest back into the hold of the earth – with no other purpose than to allow nature’s magic to unfold.
Why not invite others to join you and share your experiences? And/or share your experiences below in the comments!
Claire x
This poem is sublime and just what I needed to read today – thank you for sharing it, Claire 🙂
Thank you, Newton! It makes me happy to know you received it when you needed it, too!
Thank you so much for sharing this poem, Claire, and for your thoughts. It’s a beautiful poem and I can really relate to it.
On a similar theme, two other poems of hers that resonate with me are ‘When I am among the trees’ and ‘How I go to the woods’.
Thanks Cath, yes, those two are also gems of hers!