In the Woods

In the woods, where silence breeds, A stillness born of ancient needs, The dappled shade and breath of pine, Whisper secrets, intertwine.

The roots reach deep, where time lies warm, And branches swirl in a gentle storm, Life teems in leaf, in bark, in flower, Nature’s pulse, alive, each hour.

Come wander through this sacred space, Find there the peace, the quiet grace, For in the woods, the heart will see, The wild truth of what must be.

• Robert Penn Warren