The Forest Said Nothing, It Just Let Her Breathe.*

Alishan National Forest, Taiwan - Photo by Luisa Go Shah

Point to Ponder:  “In solitude there is healing.  Speak to your soul.  Listen to your heart.  The answers are often found in the absence of noise.” --Dodinsky

Storyline: Special Thanks to Milan Trivedi, one of our readers, who sent in this beautiful poem by Becky Hemsley.  

Breathe

She sat at the back and they said she was shy,

She led from the front and they hated her pride,

They asked her advice and then questioned her guidance,

They branded her loud, then were shocked by her silence,

When she shared no ambition they said it was sad,

So she told them her dreams and they said she was mad,

They told her they'd listen, then covered their ears,

And gave her a hug while they laughed at her fears,

And she listened to all of it thinking she should,

Be the girl they told her to be best as she could,

But one day she asked what was best for herself,

Instead of trying to please everyone else,

So she walked to the forest and stood with the trees,

She heard the wind whisper and danced with the leaves,

She spoke to the willow, the elm and the pine,

And she told them what she'd been told time after time,

She told them she felt she was never enough,

She was either too little or far far too much,

Too loud or too quiet, too fierce or too weak,

Too wise or too foolish, too bold or too meek,

Then she found a small clearing surrounded by fires,

And she stopped...and she heard what the trees said to her,

And she sat there for hours not wanting to leave,

For the forest said nothing, it just let her breathe.

*You can support Becky’s work by following her on Facebook or visiting her shop on Etsy. 

Reflection: I think a lot of us, particularly those of us who are women, can relate to this poem -- this feeling of never being good enough, that nothing you say or do will ever please people.  It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the demands different people make of us -- teachers, employers, family, friends -- and so it’s incredibly important, especially as we approach the holiday season, to take time to sit with ourselves and just let ourselves be: without judgement, without obligation, without fear.

 

Originally from the SF Bay Area, Phoebe Pineda currently studies Writing and Literature at the University of California Santa Barbara's College of Creative Studies.  In addition to storytelling, she enjoys sunset-watching, road trips, and making art.

 

Comments

[Moore, Lee Ann]

Beautiful

[Debasree]

Oh so relatable! Thanks for sharing, Anand🙏

We often confuse between the implicit n explicit demands/expectations/perceptions, thanks to timeless social conditioning.

High time we first freed ourselves from our inner demons (personal attempts n conflicts always on 😉)

[sujat]

Nice poem. Nice representation by Luisa kaki of a lovely forest. Its depth is very inviting.

We are not human "doings"; we are human "beings" ! Let us just be, without being driven.... either by others' expectations and standards, or by our own conditioned beliefs and standards that we have absorbed from society.

[Fr Taipei.]

Very nice poem, very true, too.

[Sharon]

Love this. Thanks!

[Akiko]

Inspiring. Thanks for introducing us to Becky Hemsley

[YB Lim]

So true….a good reminder we need quality time be with ourselves, listen to voice from bottoms of heart and inner self…reflect

[MQer-The Way We Were]

I like the reflection
I love luisa’s forest photograph

The poem resonated with me for a different reason

That in the cacophony of sounds around us- nature provides a quiet that allows our thoughts to flow

I sense it even when I work in my yard - and if I am mad at my husband or about work - the one way dialogue that I have calms me down

The forest also represents someone who listens without interrupting with own opinions or platitudes

[Mina]

Nice poem. Thanks.

[HEDDA ROBINSON]

Very nice and inspiring!!! I too would just want to be alone and be with nature at times. Thanks.

[Kazuko]

Love this💕 arigato🥰

[FE]

True. God’s Word encourages to please God, not please people.

[Janis Sachtjen]

I love connecting with nature. Exactly as Becky says, nature lets me soul breathe. Lovely poem.

[Longtime Friend]

I loved the poem. It’s a story of lots of women including myself in some sense. I enjoy reading Friday reflections.

[Fr Prasad Vepa]

Thank you Anand for sharing this latest FR post with Becky Helmsley's lovely, evocative poem. Silence and nature have the power and eloquence to speak to ardent listeners, to awaken and inspire them and to find their true Self, their strength and their voice. It's wonderful when that happens, even if it's only to a rare soul.
Loved Luisa's picture from the Alishan National Forest. Remember seeing some lovely pictures from your trip there almost two years ago.

[BR]

Very nice, peaceful to read, thanks!