a poem by Ceó Ruairc

When days turn brilliant and cool

and the forest breathes

with footprints seldom seen

when these dark trails

are mostly mine

I will rest immersed

in piles of Maple leaves

sleep in this amber glow

until Squirrel stops scolding

and even Wren becomes brave

I will dream as I bathe

in her melodious song

as wild Wolves return

a flow of grey

whispers in the woods

running

I will watch Salmon struggle home

from their ocean run

as glistening Bears dine

on river-gifts

and the great rains come

I will give thanks

for the unfathomable

connection of it all

this balance of give and take

death and birth

summer fruits fading

into rich black earth

I will burst open

with the sweet grief

of knowing

my smallness in this world

then slowly trace

a sinuous path home

Returning

I will step lightly

silent as the moon

golden leaves in my pockets

chlorophyll in my veins

fragrant as the earth

Naturalist/poet, Ceó Ruaírc writes from wild places, inspired by wolf song, coastal storms, and the tenacity of trees.