She yelled at me to come
To run to her arms wide open
To spread my wings by her side
To bathe in her sensations
When I was a child
But I was taught to fear her and her dark secrets
What terrors does she hide?
I am too young and weak to be with her
I must wait till I grow strong

I am no child no longer
I have denied her call a thousand times
Now she barely whispers
I am no longer afraid
But I am no longer excited either
I run to her searching for the salvation she promised
But all I hear is the sound of my own helpless voice
Still, she takes me in
Still, the wilderness gives me quiet respite
From the chaos of civilisation
As Robin Wall Kimmerer said,
“The land knows you,
Even when you are lost.”