Shinrin-yoku

I turn off paved road onto gravel, cruising down the one lane road until I reach the parking lot. Every season is a marvel to behold, but there is something magical about the early days of spring. The buds have just birthed green leaves, with spring beauties and trout lilies heralding the arrival of steadily warmer days. Five steps into the preserve, I breathe in the scent of the trees around me. Fifty steps in, the tense spot between my shoulder blades caused by too much time spent hunched over a screen loosens. Five hundred steps in, with the noise of the streets left far behind the chorus of insects and birds, immersed in a chapel of trees, the light in my eyes testifies to the contentment of my soul.

In the forest’s peace
I am cleansed of pollution
and baptized by green.


This poem was inspired by the prompt given over at A Dash of Sunny's Prompt Nights: When Besotted by Green

28 comments:

  1. Whistles!!!! This is lovely :D such gorgeous images as one walks down the lane especially adore the reference to "spring beauties and trout lilies heralding the arrival of steadily warmer days."

    Beautifully expressed. Thank you so much for participating at Prompt Nights Rommy :D

    Lots of love,
    Sanaa

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  2. It is increasingly harder to pull away from screens but always rewarding and awakening when we can - a wonderful meditation

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    1. It can be a siren's song sometimes. Fortunately the woods sing louder. :)

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  3. Replies
    1. A walk in the woods is a very lovely and soothing thing.

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  4. What a wonderful stroll! And the speaker tells truth, for after accompanying her through the poem... I, too, feel "cleansed of pollution." ♥

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    1. One could almost call such a trip a pilgrimage

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  5. This days a cleansing of pollutants has become a necessity of survival.

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    1. Yes, it is necessary to regularly drop everything that muddies your vision so you can see with fresh eyes again.

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  6. I especially love the haiku. This is beautiful.

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  7. I love this... still a few months until I can find such greenery... spring comes late in Sweden...

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    1. I'm sure it will be welcomed with open arms once it does come.

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  8. In the forest’s peace
    I am cleansed of pollution

    The beauty and privilege of being close to nature. It can never be any other way. Beautiful lines Rommy!

    Hank

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    Replies
    1. It's a privilege I don't take for granted. I live in suburbia, but a 5 minute drive will get me to some stunning sights.

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  9. Nice! I need to get out there myself.

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  10. I'm sorry, I read this and thought I'd commented.
    "immersed in a chapel of trees" and "baptized by green" are just gorgeous phrases. I'm envious of their beauty. Well done!

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  11. Baptized by green! I'm going to remember this and roll in it.

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