Episode 11

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One of my favorite poems is called, "Sleeping in the Forest" written by Mary Olvier in 1978. Poetry has been deep medicine during the pandemic for me, offering me a retreat and a refuge from the overwhelming things happening in the world and in my life. I turn to poetry and nature lately to help me feel grounded in my art practice and my life.

Sleeping in the Forest

by 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 river bed,
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.

I hope you enjoy listening to me read this poem and share some reflections on poetry and nature’s impact on my art practice lately.

Resources:

-Follow me on Instagram @deeprootedhealing