I went to the forest in search of nature, I didn’t know the direction, Nor did I have a map, I was just told to go look and I would see, I walked for days and days, I lost my coat, Set it down somewhere, I took off my shoes, The soles had worn out, I lost my glasses, Found they were no longer of use, I couldn’t see through the brush, No path could be found, Just this constant whispering in my head, Keep going, Nature shall be found, For so many days I walked, The seasons changed, Time and time again, I encountered animals, And other friends, Still I walked in search, After so many nights, Year after year, I finally came to a clearing, And she was there, She had grown lichens throughout her hair, Her eyes were shifted, And her skin had turned a darker shade, The twigs had matted around her ankles, She smelled of the rain, I approached cautiously, For I knew not what to say, She seemed busy and distant, Then she sat, like she had been waiting, I had never seen anything so beautiful, And I had never felt more afraid, For all that time I had walked in her presence, So intent on my pursuit, I thought I was lost, I thought everything had turned grey, I was cold and hungry, And the sun had burned my skin, Time over again, And I couldn’t help but feel that she was to blame, I stepped forward again though, Brave, Asking to sit down next to her, I could feel her wisdom, And I could faintly hear her humming, I asked for her to tell me about herself, Silence, That’s what I got, The nights changed, And the days, They came and went, And still we sat, Together, When so many nights had come and gone, And my days had grown short, She finally shifted her gaze to me, And said hello, I trembled, Because then she said, I am nature, I am the sun and the moon, I am the stars under which you cry, I am the Winter and its freeze, I am Spring and renewal, I am Summer with its easy splendor, And the Autumn with its necessary shed, I am also the wind, Powerful, When it’s needed for change, I am the fire in the core,

I was told that failing wasn’t an option, That to fail was lack of will, Procrastination, And lack of persistence, I disagree, Failure, time and time again, Were the lessons, The reminders that nothing is permanent, And none of us in control, Living by the path given when we are born, I tried to hold onto a path, A business, A marriage, A lifetime with so much noise, In this moment, I realize, That the failures, Inevitable and concise, Were my ticket to understanding, My way of perceiving, My route, And when I let go of my ego, When I saw failure for all that it is, I accepted that the change, Lies within, It lies in our very makeup, And the resilience, To pick up the pieces, And move on.