Woodland Musings

A poem about forest bathing

Photo by Michael Michelovski on Unsplash

This poem is part of the NaPoWriMo 2024 challenge to write a poem a day in April. This is the prompt for April 24:

Today, we’d like to challenge you to write a poem that begins with a line from another poem (not necessarily the first one), but then goes elsewhere with it. This will work best if you just start with a line of poetry you remember, but without looking up the whole original poem. Or you could find a poem that you haven’t read before and then use a line that interests you. The idea is for the original to furnish the backdrop for your work, but without influencing you so much that you feel as if you are just rewriting the original!

When I am among the trees,
I am in a sacred place,
A place where I can escape,
Where the world’s chaos recedes.
Every step I take,
Every rustle beneath my feet
Brings me to a closer connection
With the earth.

When I am among the trees, 
Leaves softly swish in diffused light,
Birds speak in their language of melodies,
And the wind’s whisper cools my skin.
The fragrant air, infused with the
Scent of moss, damp soil, and
Fecund leaves, becomes my incense,
Rejuvenating my spirit.

When I am among the trees,
I sense a kinship with their collective, 
The interconnected roots that anchor them, 
Branches that reach to touch the heavens. 
I am reminded of my own roots, 
My own connection to this world;
Reminded of the importance of being present, 
Of embracing the beauty that surrounds me.

When I am among the trees,
I am on a spiritual journey,
A chance to reconnect with myself 
And with something greater. 
In the stillness of the woods, 
I find clarity and peace as 
Worries and stresses fade away, 
Replaced by awe and gratitude.

Author’s Note

• I decided to use the first line of the Mary Oliver (September 10, 1935–January 17, 2019) poem titled, “When I am Among the Trees” originally published in 2006 and later included in Mary Oliver’s parting gift, Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver.

• I discovered Mary Oliver’s poems in my forties and immediately felt a connection. Her beautifully rendered words mirrored some of my own thoughts and feelings.

• I tried to follow the prompt’s instruction and not let the original poem be too much of an influence, but I’m not sure I was successful.

Thanks very much for reading, subscribing, and sharing the stories, poetry, and essays in this space. If you like a story, poem, or essay, please click on the heart. Also if you are so moved, please leave a comment.