POETS SALON
– 12/02/20
We brought the forest inside (Photo – Kathabela Wilson)
Hosted by Kath Abela Wilson
By autumn, we bring the forest into our house. Focus on resilience. Regeneration. Ficus, orchid, bamboo, philodendron, Norfolk pine, lemon cypress, bromeliad, monstera. Profusion of petals and leaves, origami cranes land on every branch.
we dance
our lockdown
turns tropical~ Kath Abela
The waiter in a zebra shirt (Photo – Carol Raisfeld)
Carol Raisfeld
Global Tranquility
When visiting South Korea, my gracious hosts invited me to lunch in their beautiful garden. I was captivated to hear the secrets of Forest Bathing.
Running along the length of Korea are the timeless Baekdu-Daegan mountains. Covered in lush forests filled with aromatic Hinoki trees, they provide a comforting escape from the rush of city lives. For millennia these mountains have stood as sentinels, calmly watching the flow of time and the journey of humans.
rainforest café
the waiter in a zebra shirt
and leopard pants
They influence the weather, the ecology, and the water systems, which support agriculture and feed the entire nation. The wise elders in ancient times named them energy spine mountains. They believed that Baekdu-daegan continuously fed essential life-energy throughout the land. Its unimpeded clear flow was considered necessary for birth and growth, for health, strength and prosperity.
Forest bathing is the art of immersing yourself in nature to rejuvenate your mind, body, and energy to activate nature’s healing benefits. The main principles are to go in silence and go slow. Use your senses to find things in nature that bring you peace and happiness.
forest tour
the macaw mimics
grandma’s voice
No one teaches us humility and respect better than nature. To understand the beauty of the natural world and its magical creatures is to spark awe, wonder and fascination as it lingers within you through your days.
In the confines of nature, the mind can truly open up and unlock the doors of creativity and love.
The secrets of Forest Bathing will always be with me to share. I hope others immerse in forest baths and contemplate their own journeys in this circle of life.
downtown
the smell of pine trees
from the taxi
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Trailside shrine (Photo – Carol Raisfeld)
Pat Davis
What better place to learn resilience than to look at nature? The yearly renewal of spring, the return of flora and fauna after a fire, and the joy in our privately tended gardens, are but a few examples. From swelling buds on the tallest trees, to the many shapes of green on the forest floor, and the unexpected sight of flora whose seeds were sent by the wind or dropped by a seed-eating critter, the inspiration is endless.
cup of tea
all the time we need
between sipspine barrens
the return of sweetfern
and butterfliesa tulip shape
the new patch
on her jeanstrailside shrine
the burden lighter
for now
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Forest Bathing (Photo – Carol Raisfeld)
Forest Bathing: Quotes and Credits
Carol Raisfeld lives in Atlantic Beach, a barrier island close to New York City. Being alone in this difficult time, she feels inner silence sometimes speaks the loudest. Feeling the comfort of the forest and sounds of the sea, knowing it will all go on forever, is life-affirming. The winner of international awards and an anthologized poet, her art and photography appear worldwide in print and online journals: “Living on Long Island, there are many magical wooded areas on the North Shore where one can immerse oneself in the beauty of nature. It is almost other-worldly as I take meditative walks on paths that sometimes lead to bluffs overlooking the beautiful Long Island Sound.”
Pat Davis grew up in the city of East Boston, Massachusetts, but has lived in the countryside of New Hampshire for over 50 years. She is a mother, retired middle school teacher, artist, and lover of haiku and senryu. Her poetry has appeared in many online and print journals including anthologies, and has merited Honorable Mentions in a few contests.
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Send short poems, haiku, senryu, tanka, cherita haibun, tanka prose, short prose poems, etc., or your own unique approach, to Kath Abela by Facebook message or click here to email her directly. We can feature your work again after five months. Multiple Submissions can be saved to appear later:
- Send a short bio, comments on the theme.
- Send photos or artwork by you, if possible.
- No attachments except photos.
End of article
Thank you Kathabela for your dedication and hard work for making possible for talented poets and artists to be able to share their talent.
I wish you good health and energy to continue your work.
thank you dear beautiful artist and precious friend for your continued encouragement and appreciation! All this creative work builds and transforms into more energy, love, consolation and hopefully carries us all through to the other side of this difficult time! Looking forward to being with you and doing all I can to keep our wonderful community of artists poets and friends as a source of good ideas that help to make a better world.
Thank you so much for your own creativity, endurance and strength.
Lovingly Kath Abela