To the earth I offer my silence, Beneath the canopy of longing stars. The air is trembling, palpitating— Such quietude suffuses these woods, While shadows linger like sighs, Softening the image of night. I search for the pulse beneath, Where something sacred arises, Forged in the stillness, where dreams may float, Embraced in the arms of the tall trees— My heart opens wide, wide as the sky, And I breathe in the essence of night, Each moment lush with possibilities, While the earth hears my whispered soul.

• Anne Sexton