Inspired by a poem by Mary Oliver

When I Am Among the Trees

by Mary Oliver

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
     but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, "Stay awhile."
The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, "It's simple," they say,
"and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine."

"When I Am Among the Trees" by Mary Oliver, from Thirst. © Beacon Press, 2006. 

Reprinted without permission, but I'm hoping she'll forgive me because I was so moved by her poem that I was inspired to post on my lonely forgotten blog. (buy now) 

The field behind my home and studio.

The mighty oak

The humble maple that gives us shade

Abbey comes out and joins me in the field

She's a flower child at heart....just like me

A dirt bath on the way back to the studio......just Abbey....I won't join her for one right now

Summertime is here and I find my way out into the trees when I can. There's a path that Don made that leads down to the stream. He's been walking in the stream in the morning and evening for a few weeks now, and it's time to get new water shoes and join him.