(I visit abandoned graves frequently when I’m in the woods. They are always places of tranquility. As Samhain/Halloween/All Souls Day approaches, I find myself more strongly drawn to them than at other times of the year.)
high ridge
hardwood forest
around and below
I wrote this elegaic free verse poem while sitting in a graveyard of unmarked headstones deep in the woods. At the time I was struggling with my own mortality in the wake of a cancer diagnosis and treatment. Although I’ve come across many such resting places in my backcountry wanderings, this burial place where nearly thirty souls were put to rest has a welcoming aura about it that embraces me when I visit. It feels like a homecoming each time. Continue reading “among spirits and stones”
Wild Heart Woman 