A Whisper from the Woods
O whisper of the woodlands deep,
Thy secret held in rustle found,
A silent promise mine to keep,
In shadows cast upon the ground.

Fair things emerge, like dreams untold,
The echoing boughs with laughter ring,
In every shade, a piece of gold,
In every breeze, a songbird’s wing.

Thy branches cradle evening’s grace,
Each leaf a note in nature’s hymn,
Through tangled roots, a gentle trace
Of love, of life, of light so dim.

O whisper, thy tales I shall not shun,
For in thy depths, this heart finds peace,
In wild embraces, my spirit runs,
Through woods of wonder, my joys increase.

• Richard Crashaw