Sometimes when I go out into nature, I feel as if I am walking out into a completely separate and protected world.  It is as though all else just fades away and all I am left with is this one moment in time.  I put aside all the worries and concerns of the day and focus my attention on what is right in front of me.  I look carefully at each little detail, I listen for each sound, and I breathe in the smells of the earth.  As I fill my senses with the wonder that is all around me, I feel a deep sense of peace and contentment.  All my cares melt away and I am left with appreciation and gratitude for nature’s perfection.  In these moments, I feel connected to the earth and I sense a deep significance in this. The garden itself is truly a work of art.  The soil and sky, a canvas that remains steady and unchanging while the vast array of shapes and colours found in the plants and flowers form a beautiful work of art for all to see.

Nature’s Embrace
By Krista Longeway

The warmth of sun’s rays on my upturned face
As summer breezes play amongst the trees
Beside me flowers delicate as lace
Alive with hum of lazy bumblebees

Blossom’s sweet perfume drifting through the air
Mingling with the scent of grass and damp earth
Butterflies floating without any care
As newly emerged from chrysalid’s birth

A tree’s nearby branches stretching up high
Its roots reaching deeply, unseen below
Gently connecting the earth with the sky
Light filtering down in a shadowy glow 

Birdsong drifts in on gentle winds blowing
I hear trickling water on mossy stones
Somewhere nearby a stream softly flowing
A melodic echo of soothing tones

While time stands still, I’m lost in daydreaming
All fades away as I come to this place
I catch a small glimpse of life’s true meaning
Where nature welcomes me to her embrace