Walking through a woodland
Bathed in autumn glow
Scrunching through leaves,
Breathing fecund, earthy fragrance.
I glimpse tiny berries, red, white,
Sparkling like jewels
In the late autumn sunshine.
Then you capture my attention,
Your size, your beauty, your majesty
Your grace and your strength.
You shed leaves like soft, golden tears
Fluttering gently to the ground,
Letting go, just letting go.
I think you’re weeping really.
Crying out lost loves, disappointments,
Past regrets, broken promises and dreams.
They all come silently, slowly down
Until you’re naked, boughs undressed,
Stripped, sparse, empty, bare.
Seeming vulnerable, yet standing strong,
Resilient and quietly dignified,
Standing alone, yet deeply rooted,
As you wait quietly for winter’s end,
Knowing the lighter, warmer days will come.
Understanding that you had to lose and let go
To grow stronger and more beautiful.
By Tina Cathleen MacNaughton
From ‘On the Shoulders of Lions’ (The Choir Press)
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