A recent conversation inspired me to write the following poem. It was heartwarming for me to hear the woman speak of her experiences in nature. She discovered the significance of our life experience as a young child. Thus, she lives with a willingness to just be in this moment. Nature is a gateway. And, she returns home, again and again, to her essence through the spaciousness beyond. Thus, she openly lives and she loves without a reason for either. She dreams the dream of life each moment as it carries her along.
The Dreams of a Woman
Nature fills me with wonder and joy.
This has been true since my childhood.
Was it so long ago, or does it only seem so.
I was already drawn to nature as a girl.
There were walks in the park each day.
I would play by the pond.
Water reeds and cattails reached out to me.
And, ducks swam by in delight.
Nature always offers me dreams.
I would lay in a field by our house.
The other kids would tell me.
Come on, let’s play!
But, I choose to stay there near to nature.
For, there in the tall grass were miracles to behold.
Therefore, I laid very still.
Sometimes hours would pass.
Nevertheless, my dreams always came true.
A breeze would stir the grass as it whistled a tune.
The sun always shined and the sky was so blue.
There I would lay as nature showed me how to play.
There was always so much to see.
Crickets would sing to me.
They were hidden in the grass.
However, I could hear them. But, seldom saw them.
Be that as it may, I loved the cricket’s song.
So, there I laid each day.
And, dreamed a thousand dreams.
I laid my head close to the ground.
And, it is astonishing what I found.
The earth was alive with bugs and snails.
Bugs of all sizes scurrying through the grass.
The snails, on the other hand, slowly crawling by.
All in all, the field was alive with natural wonders.
Grasshoppers of all sizes played in the grass.
Large and small, they jumped here and there.
Nearby, there were grasshoppers that could also fly.
I would stare in amazement as they took to the air.
Their wings fluttering faster and faster.
This sight was always a thrill.
Thus, I would close my eyes and dream. I can fly!
And, indeed, there is joy in flying about.
The summer breeze flourished with life.
There were butterflies and ladybugs.
Colorful and carefree they flew around and around.
There I sat, smiling as they glided and flew.
Yes, back then and long ago I was young.
Nonetheless, I already knew a universal truth.
Nature is the gateway to life, love and the self.
Therefore, each day is a gift of life, regardless of what comes.
And, this is true for me, to this day as a young woman.
