deepundergroundpoetry.com
Sleeping in the Forest (A memorial to Mary Oliver)
That night, I slept beneath the watch of a familiar face, but one which I had not visited for quite some time.
I gazed deep into Mother nature’s nurturing eyes,
As she held me in her warm embrace
And so tenderly took me away
From the bane of my existence,
'Neath the skirt of a gnarled, giving tree.
Her pockets full of nuts and seeds,
The fallen fruits of her creation,
Bestowed so lovingly to me,
Neatly rested below its gnarled branches,
An enchanted slumber befell my eyes
As mother nature’s starry gaze watched over me that night.
Sleeping in the forest,
I slept a sleep like none before.
Like a young bird at rest in its earthen nest
Nestled safe and sound
Against its mother’s breast
'Neath the pale, white light of the moon.
Nothing lies between us,
but my thoughts,
Fleeting,
Flitting, like moths taking flight
Branching out towards the sky
‘Neath the giving tree that night.
I heard the voice of Mother Nature,
A sweet serenade of sound:
A chorus of croaking frogs
And crickets chirping all around.
Nature’s hidden wonders whisper
Ancient wisdom in my ears,
Sacred secrets of the past,
Revealed in Her ancient years.
The night, it rose and fell,
Her words reflected on by the water’s edge,
There beneath the giving tree,
She sang sweet melodies inside my head.
Night came and went before my eyes,
I rose and fell the same,
By the time the morning sun arose,
My life had forever changed.
#MaryOliver
I gazed deep into Mother nature’s nurturing eyes,
As she held me in her warm embrace
And so tenderly took me away
From the bane of my existence,
'Neath the skirt of a gnarled, giving tree.
Her pockets full of nuts and seeds,
The fallen fruits of her creation,
Bestowed so lovingly to me,
Neatly rested below its gnarled branches,
An enchanted slumber befell my eyes
As mother nature’s starry gaze watched over me that night.
Sleeping in the forest,
I slept a sleep like none before.
Like a young bird at rest in its earthen nest
Nestled safe and sound
Against its mother’s breast
'Neath the pale, white light of the moon.
Nothing lies between us,
but my thoughts,
Fleeting,
Flitting, like moths taking flight
Branching out towards the sky
‘Neath the giving tree that night.
I heard the voice of Mother Nature,
A sweet serenade of sound:
A chorus of croaking frogs
And crickets chirping all around.
Nature’s hidden wonders whisper
Ancient wisdom in my ears,
Sacred secrets of the past,
Revealed in Her ancient years.
The night, it rose and fell,
Her words reflected on by the water’s edge,
There beneath the giving tree,
She sang sweet melodies inside my head.
Night came and went before my eyes,
I rose and fell the same,
By the time the morning sun arose,
My life had forever changed.
#MaryOliver
Published 20th Jan 2019
| Edited 27th Jan 2019
Author's Note
A memorial to Mary Oliver's "Sleeping in the Forest," reimagined and rewritten by myself for a poetry competition.
All writing remains the property of the author. Don't use it for any purpose without their permission.
likes 11
reading list entries 0
comments 21
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Commenting Preference:
The author encourages honest critique.
20th Jan 2019 8:42am
Thank you for such a genuine tribute, NewBeginnings. I particularly loved the reference to the giving tree. That was one of my favorite childhood books.
Best of luck in the comp.
Best of luck in the comp.
20th Jan 2019 9:40am
20th Jan 2019 9:12am
20th Jan 2019 9:40am
20th Jan 2019 12:17pm
20th Jan 2019 2:54pm
20th Jan 2019 2:18pm
20th Jan 2019 2:56pm
Anonymous
21st Jan 2019 2:08am
NewB,
Holy cow, I've never read that poem by Mary Oliver, but that was beautiful! Absolutely beautiful. Great job!
MZ.
Holy cow, I've never read that poem by Mary Oliver, but that was beautiful! Absolutely beautiful. Great job!
MZ.
21st Jan 2019 2:59am
That's a huge compliment, Matthew! Thanks for your continued support, I'll copy and paste the original here in the comments for comparison:
"I thought the earth remembered me, she
took me back so tenderly, arranging
her dark skirts, her pockets
full of lichens and seeds. I slept
as never before, a stone
on the riverbed, nothing
between me and the white fire of the stars
but my thoughts, and they floated
light as moths among the branches
of the perfect trees. All night
I heard the small kingdoms breathing
around me, the insects, and the birds
who do their work in the darkness. All night
I rose and fell, as if in water, grappling
with a luminous doom. By morning
I had vanished at least a dozen times
into something better."
- Mary Oliver
"I thought the earth remembered me, she
took me back so tenderly, arranging
her dark skirts, her pockets
full of lichens and seeds. I slept
as never before, a stone
on the riverbed, nothing
between me and the white fire of the stars
but my thoughts, and they floated
light as moths among the branches
of the perfect trees. All night
I heard the small kingdoms breathing
around me, the insects, and the birds
who do their work in the darkness. All night
I rose and fell, as if in water, grappling
with a luminous doom. By morning
I had vanished at least a dozen times
into something better."
- Mary Oliver
Anonymous
21st Jan 2019 4:14pm
Hey NewB,
Thank you for posting that, it's nice, but you really created an absolutely beautiful memorial. I'm really impressed.
Thank you for that!
MZ.
Thank you for posting that, it's nice, but you really created an absolutely beautiful memorial. I'm really impressed.
Thank you for that!
MZ.
21st Jan 2019 8:43pm
21st Jan 2019 2:29am
21st Jan 2019 3:00am
Aww, thanks so much, tarnished. That means a lot. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment!
21st Jan 2019 2:02pm
Some of my most spiritual memories have been on solo backpacking trips which these words remind me of. Thank you so much, even though it is the dead of winter I am now longing to be out on the trail. Beautiful.
21st Jan 2019 8:59pm
I can very much relate to what you said about the spirituality and spending time in nature. When I first got interested in birding, a few years back, I would sometimes get so caught up in all of the natural stimuli that I would often end up spending 6+ hours out in the woods just taking it all in. The lack of mechanical stimulation and noise pollution from the busy, industrious world, and the peace of mind that comes along with it, can be quite spiritual.
These meditative trips, and some of my experiences along the way: incredibly close encounters with animals, seeing their complex behaviors first hand, and realizing the true beauty of these creatures and the natural art of the world that we live in, were truly life-changing, and made me a more spiritual person.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read and comment, TIG!
These meditative trips, and some of my experiences along the way: incredibly close encounters with animals, seeing their complex behaviors first hand, and realizing the true beauty of these creatures and the natural art of the world that we live in, were truly life-changing, and made me a more spiritual person.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read and comment, TIG!
Anonymous
- Edited 16th Jul 2019 12:45pm
23rd Jan 2019 00:43am
<< post removed >>
23rd Jan 2019 4:10am
I am overjoyed at your kind comments :). I'm really happy that you can relate so well... Thank you for your kindness!
Anonymous
- Edited 16th Jul 2019 12:45pm
23rd Jan 2019 4:38pm
<< post removed >>
Anonymous
- Edited 27th Jan 2019 12:40pm
27th Jan 2019 12:39pm
Splendid tribute to Mary and the rhyming is wonderful.
Good luck in the comp that is about to expire soon!
Good luck in the comp that is about to expire soon!
27th Jan 2019 4:46pm
