To the root
June 11, 2020
When was the last time (before this pandemic took root and made us prisoners in our own homes) that you really stopped to look at, feel close to, listen to, touch or consider the immense power of the mighty trees that give shelter above your head?
Nature is truly empowering, deeply healing and intensely restorative.
Since childhood I’ve always loved being close to trees and had an unconquerable need and deep respect and desire to stay close to nature.
From the very earliest stages of my life I played in grassy fields, with long, waving grass you could hide inside, lie down in, fall asleep in even (although as children we had far too much energy for that!)
You’d feel it wrapping itself around you and keeping you safe, comforted and at peace. There was an instantly felt and absorbed gentleness in being this close to the ground and the earth around me and the soil beneath me, made me naturally happy.
I now feel it more intensely, looking back at these moments of my childhood and seeing with great clarity how very lucky I was to be able to live like this. We lived freely, playfully, intently.
I am still able to live freely, playfully and intently. What a gift this is. It is also my inherent feeling that trees give even more to me as an adult. They are the great keepers of great thoughts and even greater feelings.
To the root
Tree limbs
tree roots
tree fingers
tree saplings
rooting to my scalp
my crown
the glory of my head
Tree thorns
ward off any
unwanted nestlers
Tree seeds
feed the need
Limb reach
root touch
finger wrestle
sapling dance
Your canopy and mine
trunk and core
entwined
hollow is my hiding
hollow is my holding
hollow is my wrestling
hollow is my biding
I whisper it
the trees whisper it
the core whispers it
the canopy whispers
leaves whisper
shhhhhhhhhhh
- Maria Cairnie
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