lissom grove

16" x 20" / acrylic on canvas

Moving from open fields with their long rippling strands of golden hay
               the warmth of streaming sunlight dancing across my face, shoulders, arms, chest.
I move as silently as possible, sliding into the edge of the dusky and sheltered woods. 

Entering in such a way, often enough, results in being granted the luxury of silent admission. 
My entry into the otherworldly domain can go unannounced
               ...but never unnoticed by crows and ravens
                         who stand guard as sentinels along the wooded edges.

I exhale and breathe deeply, taking her in. 
              She smells of damp moss, rain, wet tree trunks, flowers, and needle-covered paths 
                        that lead to unknown, wild, magical places and dreams. 

On certain days and certain times, 
             her smell is like a tree stump that is already creating new life, 
                         or falling snow, frost, and softwood.

I make my way deeper into the magic that she holds as she whispers on the wind of all the ways in which she can be found.