The Quiet Forest

In the quiet glow of autumn
I see the forest breathe,
Beneath these softly breathing leaves;
Echoes cascade through branches,
Winding arpeggios possess the air —
Comforting arms reach through each gate
Into the warmth of knowing sound —
Whispers blend, dissolve and grow,
Like echoes off the crimson floor.

There is so much joy in that green,
Enfolded softly on my path,
I can almost forget all stately time;
To lose my sense of touch but gain
An eye that bears the song, as in
The building quiet that so seemly lingers,
Upon tread stones of my heart.

Here is where I hold my breath
Among the woven roots of this thick air,
To linger, still and knowing
With one soft tree descend
To carry me deep inside the grateful hymn of light.

• Louis MacNeice