An early morning, late September
a lightweight coat and a backpack,
one filled with stressful feelings.
Want to take that weight off my shoulders
by visiting this healing forest,
one filled with mysterious wonders.
I am greeting her, respectfully
when passing her entrance sign
The blue jay is greeting me back,
we both seem to be early birds.
I am starting a conversation
with all that is surrounding me;
tall trees, tiny critters & so much more.
We are communicating in silence
and those unspoken words
are telling me a lot.
I am breathing in
bright rays of sunlight
… inhaling
… exhaling
a warming up for my body
a wake-up call for my soul.
Cool air is blowing gently
it is freshen up my mind
and it is coloring my cheeks,
in a reddish color.
Red as the autumn leaves
that are coloring in this forest.
My heart feels lighter
with every step I take.
Although,
my legs are feeling heavier
leaving miles behind me
as well as that stressful feeling.
My pace is slowly
not following manmade signs
following my intuition.
Now, my sneakers are plowing
through bright green grass
while the morning dew
is kissing my white socks.
They are getting wet
by the overload of kisses
feeling fortunate to be a nature lover.
I keep moving forward
not ready to turn around
even though my socks are soaking wet.
It makes me feel more grounded
grounded with this land I am walking on,
we both have our own stories to tell.
My giggles are breaking the silence
as I seeing myself standing here
in the middle of who knows where.
Asking myself, while looking
at my wet shoes, if I am taking this
forest bathing not too literally. Do I?
Dominique Miller is a Minnesota based author and artist and owner of ByNikcreations, a small art-business. She works in a variety of mediums and expresses her creativity onto paper both through images and words. She loves spending time outdoors and these moments in nature are what inspires her in her work. In 2022 Dominique published her first poetry book, titled “My Thoughts in a Bundle”. Connect with her on Instagram @bynikcreations
