A Quiet Strength

Bridgette Guerzon Mills | A Quiet Strength, encaustic mixed media, 6 x 11 1/2 inches

Lost

Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.

– David Wagoner

Just happened upon this poem today listening to a podcast in the car while running errands and went still taking it in. It’s like a breath of fresh forest air during these busy times. Had to share it on here today.

This painting, along with several others, is now up in Egg Harbor, Wisconsin at the Cappaert Contemporary Gallery for their 2019 season. I’m so excited to be part of this gem of a gallery for the second year now. If you are in the area, be sure to stop in for a visit.

{This is my 11/100 day of journaling or blogging for 100 days for the 100 day project on Instagram}

2 Comments

  1. Beautiful painting, beautiful poem! Have you read The Overstory by Richard Powers? It is about trees and the forest. Pulitzer Prize 2019 winner for fiction and my favorite book in my life.

    1. HI Susan, no I haven’t read that book but I will put it on my to-read list! Thank you so much for the recommendation. And thank you for your kind words about my work and for visiting my blog.

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