Ah, I’ve just come back from a week in the Cotswolds. We stayed in a converted barn on a beautiful eco-friendly farm.
Every night we sat on our balcony and watched the sun go down over the valley…
When we woke in the morning, this was the only sound we heard…
We walked through beautiful forests…
Saw magical glowing trees…
And we visited Puzzlewood, an ancient woodland of mossy rocks and twisted roots, which is said to have inspired JRR Tolkien’s forests of Middle Earth…
It was only when I got back home and looked back through all my photos that I realised virtually all of them are of trees!
I was pondering why so many of us are drawn to trees, when I came across this gorgeous poem…
Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to a Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.
David Wagoner
Katherine Bassford 
A lovely blog and what a thoughtful and thought provoking poem.
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Thanks Mr P, it’s a great poem, isn’t it? It seemed meant to be that I stumbled upon it precisely when I was pondering why I had taken so many tree photos!
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What a beautiful post Katherine. And brilliant photographs too. This post could be the opening of your next book. Including a children’s book. It is a lovely poem too. I love nature and trees. In fact looking at your photos a poem came into my head so I immediately wrote it down. It’s not technically perfect obviously because it’s off the cuff but it’s just how I felt reading your post and looking at your photos and watching your video. Here it is. Dedicated to you if the quality is not too insulting ☺
Trees are full of magic and wonder
The peace and serenity I wish we could plunder
Trees I’m sure you realise are alive
They are so beautiful and so wise
Trees protect us and keep us safe
without them this world would be a much poorer place
When you next see a tree don’t shrug
just give this beautiful creation a hug.
Phil xx
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Wow Phil, what a fantastic poem! I am so chuffed my post inspired you to write it. Thank you for sharing it here. I LOVE this: “When you next see a tree don’t shrug, just give this beautiful creation a hug.” I hugged several trees when I was in the Cotswolds – it’s definitely good for the soul (and the tree probably likes it too) :-) xx
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Thank you Katherine. I’m chuffed that you like the poem. That means a lot to me. Yes I’m sure the trees do enjoy the hugs too. Where you stayed seems like a wonderful place. Thanks again for your comments and for your post. Xx
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