I want to convey the magical, special
All loving feeling

The Earth’s body is part of my own
And I am Her child

Will be returned to Her when I die
She invited me to explore

I was powerless to resist
Like a child, knew no fear

A totally comforting experience
I felt drawn into Her silent canopy

Each tree a tower of wisdom
Powerful, yet so-gentle spirits

Each of them loving, friendly
Knowing so much more than me

Pathways kept opening-up for me to explore
This way, come this way, or this…

I felt compelled to follow deep, deeper Into the forest
Shape and forms evolving From fallen trunks and roots

Women, leaning out of the Earth
Or being drawn back into Her

Hips, thighs and shoulders easily imagined
Very female, though trees had a maleness

Venturing forth from the protection of the Earth’s
Crust, breaking into the outer-dimension…

I felt honoured, lucky and special
To receive the knowledge and the guidance

That She bestowed upon me
I wish now that I had spent longer with Her

Before returning to the other world
Where I am from

My world had lost it’s attraction
I now favoured the forest to the world with people

Here the moss was so soft underfoot
It was like the earth was moving, breathing

Everything was sliding down the hill
Including me, standing on Her skin

Trees, sticking-out-like-hairs
Roots clinging like fingers clawing for a better grip

Trying to hold their ground
As the earth shifts and loosens

It felt so normal being able to know
And talk with the trees, with the land

To understand Her secrets, intuitively I knew
That all the trees were sliding down the hillside

That the earth was as soft as sourdough
And as springy as sponge cake

So their roots could not hold onto anything
And they all had no choice

But to ripple downwards
Down the mountainside

Towards the water at the bottom
Some toppled over and fell

Casualties of the forest
I sat with them, calm and silent

Comforted, nourished
Befriended and welcomed

Invited to share mystic-secrets, I accepted
Not even a consideration, an adventure! ✩
___
Forest is a lush, evocative exploration of connection to nature, imbued with a deep sense of reverence and spiritual communion with the Earth. Through its dreamlike imagery and flowing narrative, the poem speaks to the speaker’s visceral experience within the forest—a sacred space where the boundary between self and nature dissolves, and wisdom, guidance, and profound love are received from the natural world.

The opening lines establish the poem’s spiritual and sensory focus: “I want to convey the magical, special / All loving feeling.” This sets the tone for the piece, inviting the reader into an experience of awe and wonder, while also suggesting that the words themselves may only offer a glimpse of the deeper reality the poet is trying to express. The poem’s structure mimics the sense of a flowing, uninterrupted experience, with its lack of punctuation creating a seamless flow from thought to thought, much like the natural world itself—unfolding organically and without artifice.

The speaker’s identification with the Earth is immediate and profound: “The Earth’s body is part of my own / And I am Her child.” This connection to the Earth is not presented abstractly but as a bodily, intimate union, where the poet feels both nurtured and called by nature. The lines “Will be returned to Her when I die / She invited me to explore” evoke both a spiritual return to the Earth and an invitation to experience its mysteries with humility and wonder. The speaker’s youthful, innocent curiosity is conveyed through the phrase “knew no fear,” which evokes a childlike trust and receptivity to the forest’s teachings.

The imagery that follows is rich and visceral, with trees personified as “powerful, yet so gentle spirits,” embodying wisdom and guidance. The notion of the forest as a living, breathing entity is reinforced through the metaphors of “moss” that “was so soft underfoot” and the Earth’s “skin,” which provides an organic, sensory connection to the landscape. The feeling of being drawn into the forest is not passive; the speaker is a willing participant in the unfolding experience, responding to the “pathways” that “kept opening up for me to explore.” This sense of invitation and discovery provides the poem with an almost magical quality, reinforcing the idea that nature itself is a teacher, welcoming and instructing the speaker with gentle yet profound messages.

The personification of the trees as female (“Very female, though trees had a maleness”) adds a layer of complexity to the natural imagery, suggesting a balance between feminine and masculine energies within the forest ecosystem. The forest is both nurturing and dynamic, providing space for both growth and decay, as reflected in the description of the trees “clinging like fingers clawing for a better grip” as they “slide down the mountainside.” This visualisation of movement within the forest—its roots slipping, trees toppling, and the Earth itself “shifting and loosening”—emphasises nature’s constant flux and interconnection, and the natural cycles of life, death, and rebirth.

One of the poem’s most poignant moments comes towards the end, when the speaker reflects on their time in the forest: “I wish now that I had spent longer with Her.” The speaker’s longing to remain in this sacred space speaks to the transformative power of nature, a power that reorients the speaker’s understanding of their own world and priorities. The contrast between the spiritual richness of the forest and the mundane “other world” from which the speaker came reflects a deep disenchantment with human society and its disconnection from the natural world.

The closing lines, where the speaker is “comforted, nourished / Befriended and welcomed” by the forest, underscore the poem’s central theme of communion and belonging. The forest is not a passive backdrop, but an active, embracing force, offering wisdom and solace to the speaker. By the end, the forest becomes not just a place, but a living, breathing teacher—a space for spiritual discovery, healing, and revelation.

In conclusion, Forest is a lush, sensuous meditation on the profound connection between human beings and the natural world. Through rich, tactile imagery and a dreamlike, flowing structure, the poet effectively conveys a deep spiritual experience of unity with the Earth. The poem evokes both the beauty and the power of nature, as well as its role as a teacher and guide, offering comfort, knowledge, and a sense of belonging. The speaker’s journey into the forest is both an exploration of the external world and an inward journey toward spiritual clarity and understanding.