Dead leaves
and wet knees
muddy boots
and deep roots
here in the forest
it’s all connected
take off your shoes
toes bare
and unprotected
dig in deep
beneath the leaves
to find cool soil
and let senses ease
sip at the calm
the earth can give
and let stress trickle away
like water through a sieve
Gideon’s Challenge
Gideon’s Challenge
Gideon’s Challenge
Gideon’s Challenge
Gideon’s Challenge
I wander among paths
of shadowed darkness
and take solace
in wet ground
squishing beneath
the soles of my boots
while the world
is filled with the dusk
of forest canopy
beneath overcast sky
and when sun breaks
I step free of the
forest’s embrace
and feel that the world
is too bright





