I read a beautiful poem today, it reminded me a bit of our recent walk through the paperbark forest at Agnes Waters in Queensland, Australia. Its been over a week since my last post and this poem has prompted me to write one. First I'll share the poem written by Becky Hemsley, while it's not an Australian based poem, a forest is just as beautiful here, and in this case the paperbark forest offers the beautiful peace and breathing space some of us may need.
"She sat at the back
and they said she was shy,
She led from the front
and they hated her pride.
They asked her advice
and then questioned her guidance,
They branded her loud
then were shocked by her silence,
When she shared no ambition
they said it was sad,
So she told them her dreams
and they said she was mad,
They told her they’d listen
then covered their ears,
And gave her a hug while
they laughed at her fears,
And she listened to all of it
thinking she should,
Be the girl they told her to be
best as she could,
But one day she asked
what was best for herself,
Instead of trying
to please everyone else,
So she walked to the forest
and stood with the trees,
She heard the wind whisper
and dance with the leaves,
She spoke to the willow,
the elm and the pine,
And she told them what she’d
been told time after time,
She told them she felt
she was never enough,
She was either too little
or far far too much,
Too loud or too quiet,
too fierce or too weak,
Too wise or too foolish,
too bold or too meek,
Then she found a small clearing
surrounded by firs,
And she stopped…and she heard
what the trees said to her,
And she sat there for hours
not wanting to leave,
For the forest said nothing
it just let her breathe".
Words by : Becky Hemsley Talking to the Wild.
Our connection with nature is the same connection with its creator, the peace, serenity, the way it speaks to us without actually speaking, you just need to be listening.
After a recent rain, the forest floor was covered with a shallow water, paperbark trees love growing in swamps and sandy soil. Our little man walked off the track straight into waste deep water, whoops! then mum did the same thing, at least we thought it was funny.
The lighting for photography was beautiful, I only had my phone to take pictures but even so the beauty is still captured.
The aftermath of the walk! All 4 kids and mum wet, laughing and having a magical time, but at the same time wondering if we brought any spare clothing! Dad was pretty stoked he didn't fall in, it was pretty cold.
Stepping stones and narrow boardwalks are placed throughout the forest so the soil is not disturbed, there was talk of a wider, bigger boardwalk and track going in, while this would provide access to all people, the unique nature of stepping stones would be lost, I feel it would be a shame to lose them.
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Romans 1.20.