In the Woods
77
This poem played in my head while I was taking a walk through my woods the other day. I live on a 15 acre farm that is surrounded by trees - overgrown, dead, and majestic. The property has been in my husband's family for a very long time and the grounds are still littered with stashed bottles, old bird houses hanging from tree branches deep in the woods, rock piles discarded out of the way, and other things that have blown in through the years. Each time I walk through the woods I find something new and different. I end up coming back home with a renewed interest in the land, a better appreciation for the age of the trees and flowers, and a nostalgic feeling that I somehow went back in time by seeing the things from the past.
In the first paragraph I was looking and longing for something to take my mind off my problems of the day. I closed my mind and opened my senses to everything in the woods. I found a stash of old broken jugs, vases, and bottles buried under leaves and it reminded me of my husband’s grandparents. The area was very overgrown and looked like it had been forgotten.
In the second paragraph I saw my dog running off in the distance chasing bugs. I had been standing so still smelling, seeing, and listening that a deer snuck up on me. I heard her breathing first then turned to look at her. I was impressed by her size.
In the last paragraph I headed back home making as little noise as possible so I wouldn’t alert my dog to the deer’s presence – I wanted her to feel safe in my woods. After I got far enough from the deer I marveled at the fact that not so far from my back porch it had seemed like a whole different world.
In The Woods
I walked through the woods today looking for that special place
Of which I've only heard about in stories and seen in dreams.
I did not find that one place all during my stroll through the damp dirt
But rather I found it under the autumn leaves smelling of decay.
Old pots and bottles broken from the years shining in the filtered light
And a pewter-colored stone standing tall amid brambles too thick to penetrate.
My soul was running laps in the wooded lot and emitted glee as unseen elsewhere
Pungent dampness crept into my bones and shook my core when I heard a noise.
I had found a tomb of memories from past seasons long before my time
And I stooped to take a closer look then felt eyes upon my back that bore no malice.
I slowly turned and wondered at the site I had stumbled upon in those woods
As she looked at me and me at her I felt my heart race a little more in my chest.
Limbs swayed and branches broke as we each turned our backs to escape
Fleeing the dark hidden under bushes and sounds we could not place.
I found in the woods that day a magical portal leading to another world
Instead of finding that special place I found a special peace.
Spider webs of light flitted between leaves and branches as we moved through
Silent footfalls lingering on crumbled patches of moss falling astray
From beloved gardens and sleeping places that left me in thought for time.
vote upvote downshareprintflag
- Useful (2)
- Funny
- Awesome (12)
- Beautiful (18)
- Interesting (7)
CommentsLoading...
Hi lavender, thanks! The constant change in a set environment is great :)
Reading this hub I get a peaceful, easy feeling :)
Hi Ardie.
Nature is wonderful, magical.
It can do many things to your mind. Can make you happy or sad, peacefull or melancholy.
These things can come from the trees where a leaf is falling to the ground or from the birds with their beautiful songs or just from watching our four legged friends.
Nature is an experience.
Lovely poem.
Take care Ardie and have a nice day.
LOL Ghaelach
Thank you mjfarns :) I can often find peace on my walks.
Ghaelach, you are right, nature is wonderful and magical. The same woods can scare me half to death at night AND bring me total peace during the day - only something magical could do both! Thank you for the lovely comment.
So beautiful, Ardie. Your poem is deeply evocative of the tranquil majesty of nature. Where else could someone find a special peace. Thank you. :D
Beautiful! '...Instead of finding that special place I found a special peace..' what a feeling!
I love love love walking. Realy nice hub!! Nature is such a wonderful remedy for just about anything, excpet if your back hurts from shoveling snow. :)
Thanks everyone for reading. A walk in the woods is calling to me now :D
Oh, this is beautiful. I'm going for a walk right now :)
Wow, absolutely beautiful!
Thank you Duchess :) I hope it's all that much better for having read this
Hi Beth! And thank you for reading
Very innovative interpretation of nature, you are so fortunate to live in such beauty, how lucky are we as readers to be able to envision such.
Thanks jen! I like living here when I dont have to be the one mowing the lawn hahah
Intriguing - I shall have to visit your woods one day. Lovely picture!
RedElf - you are always welcome in my woods :) Dont worry if you come across the dog - he's all bark!
Absolutely Wonderful. Great piece of writing and as I read I got myself so involved that I felt as if I was walking through the woods! Lovely words and expression. Voted Up & Awesome. I shall be reading your other hubs shortly.
Best wishes to you, Ardie.
Kamalesh
Wow thanks Kamalesh! Im glad you got to join me on my walk. And thanks for the votes :)
Well I don't see what your fuss was all about! This is an amazing poem! It started off with a little walk and it turned into this endearing experience and you managed to capture that and you took us all along with you. You should definitely write more poetry!
Thanks CodeMaster - that was very kind of you to say :) I will write more if you write more!!
The month of November is our playground. It doesn't necessarily have to be for the contest but poetry is words of emotion or experiences or whatever! But you're right! I shall write! Challenge accepted!
I look forward to it Code, BRING IT!! :)
Beautifully written
Thank you Audrey!! :)
A very beautiful poem, like a walk in a wood.
Thank you fucsia:) I appreciate the kind comment!
..the woods is a beautiful place because you wrote it.
And the next time I am in there I will think of you.
Will be posted too at my Facebook page with a direct link back here ........you captured your feelings here with such an evocative read - and not only is nature on your side but anyone else who has the immense pleasure of reading this -- just came home from night shift - saw the lake in daylight but now must retire to my bed ......lake erie time ontario canada 7:11am
So very very beautiful and I felt so at home.
I now look forward to reading many more by you.
Take care and have a wonderful day.
Eiddwen.
Epi! Thanks for stopping in and for sharing :) You always have the kindest words to share.
Eiddwen - Thank you! My woods can be everyone's woods, welcome :)
You are lucky to live next to the woods, and I do miss living up in the mountains sometimes. Your poem brings a walk to the woods to life, and I have experienced many of those feelings as I walked through the forest.
Thanks for your kind words SweetiePie! I would love to live in the mountains...hiking galore :)
I feel like I'm in my farm, in my mango orchard. Beautiful indeed!
Its amazing how much the land gives us if we stop and pay attention. A mango orchard sounds so exotic and lovely.
The grace of the woods so elegantly depicted in your poem. Very beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Penny! I love getting lost in my woods - metaphorically speaking of course. I'd never want to spend the night lost in them :)
Beautiful...reminds me of my walks in the woods in mushroom season and stumbling upon what anyone else would call an "old covered dump". Not only can one man's trash become another's treasure-one can be equally fascinated in learning a little about anothers past and at the same time be awed by how easily nature can claim man's treasure for her own(i.e. seeing a fern grow beautifully in an old mason jar complete with snails etc).Keep up the good work...this hub would make a far greater impression on the necessity of today's youth to discover the backyard than a few political ads ever could!
Wow, Alydar. I think that's one of the nicest comments I've ever gotten! And you worded it so beautifully - I could just imagine the fern through the old mason jar with the sun shining down on the snails. If it wasnt so late I'd go for a walk now because you put me in the frame of mind. Thank you for reading :)
'In the first paragraph I was looking and longing for something to take my mind off my problems of the day'..... I am glad you found a release that day. There is nothing like time alone to set the world straight. Your description of the place made it feel very familiar. Wow 15 acres of playground..awesome!
Vote is beautiful.
Ardie - I loved this poem! I also love walking through the woods. I used to live on 14 acres....rented from the mayor of our town years ago. I loved it!
Pretty cool when you find stuff. I always am looking for arrow heads or fossils and junk:) sounds like this was a pretty decent walk!
Hello Posh great to see you on this old poem! I do cherish my alone time. I am an introvert first and I need time to think and unwind before giving my all to this busy world. Come take a walk in the woods one day - you'll feel like you've been here all along.
Hello RHW :) 14 acres/15 acres, same thing because I cant access part of the land here anyways! I never thought to keep an eye out for arrowheads, I wonder if that would even be a possibility here... Thanks for reading!
I love the poem and your short story. How lucky to live on such marvelous property. I can't wait to read more of your hubs. I had an 80 acra property with all old Oak trees, so I know that wonderful feeling of walking in the woods. It's awesome. Kay
Hello KDee and thanks for reading! 80 acres wow I couldnt imagine being on that huge of a lot. I love looking at old majestic trees. I bet your oaks just towered over one another :) I've been very lucky the past week its felt like spring in Ohio, even though its January, so I've gotten in some extra walks!
I liked this, ardie. Lots of good details and excellent word choice.
It is amazing to sometimes just gaze out at the natural world. It's beauty can be breathtaking.
Thanks PDX! That really means a lot to me coming from Mr Poetry himself ;)
Hi sooner28, thank you so much for reading! This was the first poem I'd written in about 10 years after a LONG pause. I do love to just stare at nature - a true miracle.
There is a wonderful sense of peace in this piece (no pun intended!)--Really lovely Ardie!
Ardie, you have such a way with words! I can so imagine the places that you write from. I almost feel like I have been there! I love the way you explain the poem before we read it; that's new to me and I like the way it works. Great job! Voting up and SHARING as always! Nice work!
JSMatthew~
Peaceful. Beautiful descriptions. Would love to be there. Lots of votes here, dear Ardie. Sharing!
Beautiful! As always, you capture the reader! You really put us into the moment with all of our sense. I could see, hear and smell the experience. Voted up and awesome.
Ardie this is very beautiful, you took me back to a place I would so love to be too, peace, quietness and innocence. Thanks so much for writing, I have enjoyed it.
Hi Ardie, beautiful poetry, I love the line 'Instead of finding that special place I found a special peace'
There is a very special peace to be found when you are alone with nature, your words describe it beautifully.
Thank you and voted up.
Best wishes Lesley
Hello sweet Audrey :) I love your pun and I’m glad it is forever etched onto my Hub. Thanks for your kind words.
Hi JS :) I’m glad you liked this one. It was my first try to get back into poetry after not writing poems for years and years. I am very proud of the photo I took. I shot it with my mobile phone heheh But don’t tell my secret.
Hi VLynn! Thanks for the votes and shares. This is one of those Hub-babies that I am very fond of :)
Thanks Marcy :) I wish I really could take all of you for a walk through the woods here. Although it’s a lot to maintain (and so it usually isn’t maintained hahah) it is quite beautiful.
Hello donnaisabella, I love that name! Thanks for finding the essence of this poem I was trying to get across :) It makes me happy that my words were able to do what I wanted them to do (for once!!).
Hi Movie Master :) thanks for reading. You chose my favorite line of the poem too – because finding that special peace did mean I found that special place…what a mess right?! Hahah Ah, well. I am so glad you liked this. It really means a lot to me.
Hi again Ardie... the more I read of your work the greater appreciation I gain for your passion for life and all which is within your grasp.
This poem reminds me of story which I read the other day and the many pleasures which can be found deep within the woods when you allow yourself to take the time to stop and enjoy the pleasures of being one with the surroundings. Wonderful poem... keep searching on this small piece of land you have.
Hugs
Hi Rolly! Im glad my writing speaks so well for me since I cannot always find the words in real life :) One of the best things about exploring nature is that it constantly changes. I can go out to my woods for a walk today and I bet everything will be changed from the time I walked and thought of this poem. Thanks for stopping in and for appreciating my recollection here
ardie, you're very welcome :-)
Beautiful poem. Yes sometimes memories of the past do look us in the face; both good as well as bad memories. The past has so much to say to us.
Hello Vegas Elias :) I agree - we just need to listen and hear the message, even if it isnt always positive.
lavender3957 6 months ago
Fantastic hub, it is so relaxing to have a peace of mind with a different sense of feelings each time. Thanks for sharing.