IN THE DAPPLED SHADE

In the dappled shade,

Under the pale green arches,

I learn to see life growing.

Where the ground is dry and crackling,

Where the green retreats to secret vaults,

holding on,

I learn to taste life hidden.

When the water falls and runs,

In sheets across the land,

Waking as it goes,

I learn the scent of life impending

In the whispering darkness,

With the rustle of small live things,

the whisper of night wings,

And a strange cry,

I learn the sound of life reborn.

In the green places,

The darkness,

The dry ground,

And the rush of water,

I learn the signs of a new life entering the world.