Ashley Wold

“How I go to the wood

Ordinarily, I go to the woods alone, with not a single
friend, for they are all smilers and talkers and therefore
unsuitable.

I don’t really want to be witnessed talking to the catbirds
or hugging the old black oak tree. I have my way of
praying, as you no doubt have yours.

Besides, when I am alone I can become invisible. I can sit
on the top of a dune as motionless as an uprise of weeds,
until the foxes run by unconcerned. I can hear the almost
unhearable sound of the roses singing.

If you have ever gone to the woods with me, I must love
you very much.”
― Mary Oliver, Swan: Poems and Prose Poems

“This goes to show you that sometimes the unseen is not to be feared and that those meant to love us most are not always the ones who do.”
― Leigh Bardugo, The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic

“Like a man who pinches himself to make sure he still has feeling, Chimen read to reassure himself that he was still alive.”
― Sasha Abramsky, The House of Twenty Thousand Books

“Oh, the wondrous places through which I wander:
woodlands, meadows, and green hillsides yonder.
I hike over mossy, meandering paths.
Dead branches serve nicely as walking staffs.
The sunset paints scenery crimson and gold.
Oh, wondrous nature dyed in colors bold.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Being Bold: Quotes, Poetry, & Motivations for Every Day of the Year