I have taken many a walk in my lifetime, although nothing like the walk I took that day back in 1993.

It was a beautiful spring day in April. Alone, feeling free and at one with myself, I walked beneath the palm trees and blue sky, but as I strolled, my peace and calm faded. Even though ten years had passed since I wrote the poem I posted last week, the one about the gray-fisted cloud and my inner critic, another instance of unfair criticism had awakened him.

The feeling that arose unsettled me, which was unusual because I am a cheerful person by nature. Thus, I knew something was going on down deep inside me.

I came to a park bench, sat down, and listened carefully. I stilled my body and mind so I could hear what my beating heart was telling me, but instead, pain arose in my body and mind. Agony. Intense struggle. Distress. Not just sorrow, but grief.

The wind shook me to my core, once again reviling me with powerful, controlling emotions I didn’t want to face. But I did, guided by the force of nature. For the evolution of good to better myself.

Being outside calms my soul and spirit. It makes me feel at one with nature and quiets the critical voices with their derogatory remarks, and helps me fight positively, rather than defiantly or defensively.

Once again, writing a poem healed me. Nature and poetry heal. Nature is always there for us. Poetry is our human way of responding to nature’s love.

Song

The wind is blowing,
And as I look within
I look outside of myself
To view the stillness and
The quiet pondering
Of my heart’s deepest content.

The wind blows with much strength
And I,
I see glimpses of weakness.
Weakness all around,
Weakness of my past.
Weakness in others,
Weakness in the things we say and do.

So I reach out to nature,
Oh, what a nature!

A nature that hears me,
A nature that sees me,
A nature that feels the beating of my heart,
And which is all-powerful!
It’s a silent solitude
Which sings to me
Like the birds soaring in flight,
Like the chirping of their call,
When they call at my front door.