Today I walked into the woods,

stopped, and for a

few seconds, there

was sheer quiet.

 

My senses sharpened, and I heard

the sweet birdsong,

saw young green ferns,

smelled fecund earth.

 

In an arch of overhanging

trees, last night’s rain

dropped gently on

the path and a

 

goose honked his way to some distant

place. A gentle

breeze rippled the

pond as I walked.

 

Luna startled a blue heron

who flew upward

in its beauty,

and my breath stopped.

 

All my worries flew away with

such splendor, and

I remembered

to let in joy .