Five Lost Boys

We walk barefoot
not an hour before sunset
to an abandoned staircase
laden with warnings of its danger.
We hop the gate and begin our descent,
down the rows of grey stones
and into the gorge below.

The rustling of the trees
the beating of our bare feet
the rush of the stream
and the unaltered song of the mourning doves,
creates a forestal symphony
we have become addicted to hearing.

The forbidden nature of this spot allures;
we feel rebellious,
we feel accepted,
we feel seen,
we feel rich.

The sunset clouds turn peach pink
illuminating the land far past its rest.
In this light, the gorge gains a new character
as the mist from the waterfalls now becomes visible.

The water rushes past our feet
with decisive forward motion
providing reassurance that life moves on
and that the past is non defining.

The warm summer rain satiates the air
with the smell of freshly watered soil.
Unevaporated droplets still reside on the lower leaf;
they drip down onto our foreheads,
and run down our faces.

As the peach sky of the sunset fades
the light blue of the early moon comes in its wake.
Its distant glow is inviting.
Its simple shape is soothing

In its presence,
I beckon and I want
I release repressed emotions,
speak without restraint,
and discover more about who I am.

We come to this place
to release energy;
We come to this place
to overcome ourselves.

Under the influence of everyday tasks,
under the curtain of everyday sites,
we are reserved.
Not because we desire to be seen as tough,
but because we are scared of vulnerability.

Like the first flower to rise in April,
Wondering if the sun will provide it life,

Here, we forget about that.
For nature is in itself vulnerable
and in this vulnerability lies great strength
which then begins to flow through us.

Nature always understands you
Better than yourself.
Open your ears and listen to its advice.
Calm your mind and think in its silence.
Unclench your fists and yell in its greatness.
Open your heart and love in its beauty.

There’s more to learn from things that don’t speak
than from those that do.