Woodland Reflections: A Restless Peace

The last sun and shadow of Autumn.

It is hot in the sun, but the shadows of the forest are warm and welcoming. It smells of earth and sweetness. An embrace of light and shadow signaling the shift of the seasons in ritualistic dance.

The deep is dark, still the light continues to fall all around me.

A gentle breeze, ever slight, teases a flirtation of summer still lingering. Snapping twigs and birdsong fill the air. It is the breath between the autumn and winter now exhaling.

Damp soil and moist bark permeate everything, something so intense it surpasses smell and falls into the very taste of Autumn.

A refreshing pause amid the overwhelm of senses.

Verdant pine needles once vibrant now turning to rust, brittle. Bright death rises in brilliance before the bitter; frigid chokehold of winter arrives. One last joy as the final flickering hues of golden fire glimmer in the shards of sunlight, a path paved of precious treasure.

Spiders - industrious, diligent creatures are they - with their webs reflected in bright beams, powerfully breaking through the branches and last hanging leaves of the wood. Spindly, skeletal arms extended, no more a dense gatekeeper against the light.

The change of seasons evokes peace as much as it does a restlessness in my spirit. Value of the simplicity of what feels good and right. Imagining a life where work is fulfilling and natural in accordance with the land, nature and the circadian rhythm instead of working for a corporate entity pulls strong and unrelenting.

There is an ambition and yearning sparked for fulfillment, to remain at home amongst what fills my spirit most.

Only the wood and land know my secrets now.

It is my desperation to make weekends and time away from the confines of an office last longer than a few days that makes me restless for change while at the same time, there is an authentic grace and gratitude that fills my heart to have something I can harvest every single day upon this earth in spite of it.

Tis the quiet warmth turning cool occurring on a late autumn afternoon transforming into evening that I love best at this exact moment in time.