The Forest Quietly Heals Us

A Poem

Jun 28, 2025

“I stood on the grass with the wind blowing through me, and I could almost hear the mountains breathing behind me. I had been my whole life a bell, and never knew it until at that moment I was lifted and struck.”

~ Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

The Forest Quietly Heals Us

Sights, sounds, smells of the forest
strip my life
down to the essentials.
Down to the bone.
Down to the heart.
Down to the root.

Then raise me up
like a baby balsam fir,
tender green needles
aglow.

Admire the light
turning the water gold.
Smell the evergreens
rimming the clay-cradled lake.
Sway in the hammock
like there’s nowhere else to be.

My son’s voice rings out—
Mama, the centre for love research!
As he climbs over me,
as comfortable on my body
as he is in his own.

I want his laugh
to vibrate my chest,
let joy’s light
wash us clean.

I want an empty mind.
Cleanse it with gratitude
for the wind,
sweeping away mosquitoes
while I do dishes
in the evening.

Simple hands, simple tools.
Swing the axe,
build the evening fire,
watch it burn.

We stay three nights.
While we sleep,
the forest quietly
heals us.

Thank you for reading! Your presence and encouragement is more meaningful than you know.

I’ve decided to add a shout out in my weekly posts to a poet whose work has hit me like a depth charge recently. This week I’m highlighting

Alex Dawson

, a poet and wildlife photographer whose gorgeous photography and poetry are bound to delight any nature lover. I admire her ability to weave vulnerable, hard-hitting truths with poetic reflections on the natural world, revealing the complexity and wonder of life without turning away from the dark. Highly recommend!

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts. Please drop a comment below.