A Day in the Woods

I will go forth in the woods today, And shake the dew from the grass, as I go; I will bring you the perfume of leaves, The sweet scents that rise from the flowers below.

I’ll sit on the mossy rocks, And listen to the birds as they sing, I’ll watch the clouds chase each other, And feel the joys that nature can bring.

For the quiet solitude of trees, The whispering winds, and the brooks, Bring an inspiration to my heart, That no other place ever took.

• John Burroughs