related poem below by:

Mitra Samimi-Urich

In the Depth of Forest’s Shadows

This community of trees

is more than just rugged trunks

offering more than just serenities

shades of green or what the eye sees

more than mighty branches

with green leafy crowns

it’s a world of abundant habitats

diverse communities of plants,

all living side by side

in the depth of forest and shadows

forest floors covered with ferns

chipmunks playing and gathering

songbirds whispering in the breeze,

tree branches home to

sparrows and crows

wild grass and purple trilliums

moss, lichens, mushrooms all around

and remains of farm stone walls

stacked in deliberate rows

Walking, I stumble upon skeletons

of small and large creatures

decaying, fallen trunks, branches

all part of a harmonious cycle of

decomposition and life

that always evolves

always grows

This place, this forest

makes me wonder,

how this diverse community

can live in harmony and peace

but the human race

cannot with ease