Forest – 1
and you never said don’t walk so i walk
until day breath
exhales
& street becomes
mud & i feel my way across bark
rocks fallen trunks crushing stalks stems
twigs cracking under & i keep on walking
tears mixing rain cold snaking naked
neck wind snicking goose bumping skin
numb fingers feet breaking shoes they’re
born in never noticed little toe before now
it’s blister sore & shit what was that branch
stabs chest thigh screams & cloud hides
moon owl hooo & hands in pockets rubbing
thigh hood up i collide collapse curl in tree
roots hold me leaves scarfle branches creak
& I sleep
Forest – 2
she snurls curls into earth tucks arms legs
twists ball-like blending sending into earth
gives way derth slurrow perrishoon long
gone she’s falling tumbling inbetween roots
clutching onto tendrils treenoooto slippy slidy
slooop bump landing deep underground no
light warm dry air musty fresh can stand sit
breathe smell naked worm flesh mighty
millipede legs maroosh maroosh come close
burrow into skin like pins freeing energy
taloos from behind bone red blood cells
network transporters ants never stop
carrying leaf slithers slathers up down up
she watches waits
wonders
wanders
within earth walls
Forest | 3
bathe in forest
shinrin- yoku*
dip toes
in moss in bracken, heather, peat
skin aches
submerges
absorbs green
thighs, belly, fingers indistinguishable
wait
for surface stillness
plimp drip is all
luscious greenity
skin wrinkles
hills valleys
sclosh, says moss, soosch carooo pasheee shan
saroo kaa kaa crish plash submish lang plot
raaa raaa deenaa bladnak soo nashee plashee
aradnen scarrood annoo shoona plagarr deen
anawar dreesh labush dagoosh naroosh oon**
as moss embraces skin dissolves troubles vanish
memories disappear feelings flatline all is green.
*shinrin-yoku is a Japanese word for forest bathing, with the idea that spending time in nature has a nurturing effect on wellbeing
**moss says: mine now stay with me don’t leave
never leave don’t go never go you’re safe here with
me haven’t you got everything you need there there i’ll
take care of you no need to worry about a thing eat
this suck this drink this relax rest rejuvenate
Forest – 4*
soooosh blup cowee crrrk kaooo yoooo
dush cleeeek dulooo palick gooosh
karool maloo poosh palloolikoosh
klup tranup caloop isssh sissssh pulish
spooot bloop suroosh daloo nooo karush
sogonome duroogonee plish click ooop
glurg karoo ayei ik ik ik ik ik ik
aaah aaaah aaaah shhoosh kalet
clunk plunk krosher blipp blipp blipp
eeeeeeeeeeg pleeeg karrumph
kruck ploosh eeeeek aaarch snaarch kaarch
sooffeeet caruckplaruck plup plup
palickano
karoola soosh blup coweeaaah
*Translation
Listen close hear mecrouch down hear us all
I am forest we are forest, I am one
we are many I am full of breathing secrets
I am trees animals every single organism
living deep and on the edge we are bluebells
bending in sunlight woodpecker tapping bark
every deer nibbling watching we are storm
falling branches algae spreading pond
moss blanketing trunks
mushroom fungi stretching reaching growing
below ground enveloping roots connecting
one tree to another to another
we are one
I am many listen close hear us now
Mel Parks
