Deep in the forest

Deep in the forest

by Toni Payne

I tread, softly,

as each footstep is absorbed by soft brown earth

And I breathe, deeply,

as cool, crisp air fills my lungs with delight.

I observe, serenely,

the sway of the trees moving with the breeze.

And I listen, intently,

for the birds, calling to each other,

their joy at the morning sun.

I touch, briefly,

moist lichen, clinging to the bark of an ancient tree.

And I smell receptively,

the freshness of the decaying leaves and life underfoot.

I watch eagerly,

as a tiny caterpillar squirms across my path;

busy busy in its daily activity.

And I stare, mesmerised,

at the majestic tree which once stood as a master;

now fallen, but giving life to the creatures that call it home.

I gulp, greedily,

the clear water that cascades over rock,

shaping its face for centuries to come.

And I gaze, marvelling,

at the rays of sunlight streaming down through the canopy,

to fill this space with the very substance of life.

Here in this special place,

I have never felt so alive.

Because 'deep in the forest lives the spirit of life'.

I chanced upon this poem from a geo textbook. There is some beauty in this poem that i hope to escape to. School starting yet again... back to reality.. back to the field ploughing. *wails*