In miserable spirits
I walk through a forest
Scramble through thickets of branches and vines
That all intertwine, no beginning, no end.

Engulfed by a blanket of trustworthy trees
I let out my secrets, my passionate pain.
And my hot tears are welcomed by well-trodden soil.

So my heart opens further.


Forgotten sins bleed out of this crevice I’ve widened
And they soar with the birds as they fly in the distance.
The birds know a far-off place to lead these vile poisons.

As for where, I know not.

The clean air does good for my spirit and now
The sunshine sews my heart shut again.
With light, gentle fingers and short, wispy movements.
Soon my heart’s safe from the sneaky corruption
Lurking in the shade where the sun cannot reach.

But as long as I am washed in its motherly rays, shadows cannot do me harm.

The protective hand and attentive ear
Is what calls me back to the forest
Because I know that as soon as I walk out of this dense green curtain,
My heart and soul are vulnerable once more.