Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.
David Wagoner
A rich poem by David Wagoner, which was brought further to life for me by the amazing poet David Whyte in the second half of an interview he gave many years ago. It’s answering the question what to do when you are lost, offering a road map to being found. The powerful practice of stopping, pausing, opening to what’s around you with respect rather than letting the internal chatter take center stage. Good advice for these days, I think…
Photo by Kristína Krúžková on Unsplash