When walking in the woods,
I feel like an intruder,
An alien bug
Inside a computer.
Yet the forest always welcomes me,
Sharing all its natural beauty,
Blind that my kind may replace its woods
With ever more modern neighborhoods.
Though so loaded with life and variety,
The forest features quiet sobriety;
No other stage is as large or silent,
With towering trees so tall, yet compliant.
Punctuating this complete calm
Are small birds offering their song
With persistent notes full of intent.
Are they desperate or just content?
How odd this feels compared to my life.
Where is the struggle, the pain, and strife?
How tempting just to hide amidst these trees,
Secure as a ship deep beneath the seas.
But the forest gets lonely,
And ambition can’t be quenched;
I don’t want solitude only
But need company and some risk.
So I return to my world
With my worn flag freshly furled,
Grateful for God’s tranquility
And with more awe and humility.
