In the forest,

there is a soul,

a calm, caring presence that envelopes me.

I call her mother.

She is my mother

when my mom wasn’t there.

 

In her shades of green

and earth tones,

she sent Doe’s to guide me.

 

On days of unbearable grief,

I heard her call

to walk the trails of her creatures.

I felt her embrace in the wind

when I sat and cried

asking “why”

to a boulder that supported me.

 

To me, she is my mother.

She was there as the moon

when I felt alone in depression.

Urging me to go on and take strength

from her silver light.

To learn from her cycles,

everything has a turn,

everything will come full circle.

 

That is why I call her mom,

which is why I heed her.

She is the path I know

that I can’t get lost on.

 

She is Artemis.

Goddess of the Hunt.

Protector of Girls, young women, and women.

Goddess of chastity and childbirth.

She is what I call mom.