Step away
from
your heart.
Let it rest
a season,
a year,
more.
As long
as it
takes.
Let its soil rest.
Become fallow.
Let rain come.
Then snow.
Sun
to bake the land dry.
Don’t rush to return.
Walk away.
Let it go to seed.
Let the brambles return.
Let native life flourish.
Let saplings
reach toward heaven
unencumbered
expanding into
forest canopy.
When your heart
has gone wild—
when wolf, deer,
hawk, hare
are once again in
conversation—
return.
Remove your shoes.
Set your tender feet
on
an unknown path.
Step into
your wild heart.
Do not take a compass.
Do not draw a map.
Forget
all
you thought you knew.
Get lost
and discover
yourself
for the first time.
Poem by anne richardson
anne richardson is a poet, chaplain, spiritual companion, labyrinth facilitator, and Reiki master and believes everyone’s story is sacred. She finds her poetic voice in listening to trees, birds, rocks, streams, and all that dwells in the natural world. Passionate about grief, loss, life transitions and dwelling in thresholds, she offers reflections on her website, http://nurtureyourjourney.net/blog-nurture-your-journey to share her insights, often calling on the natural world for wisdom. She has been published in VoiceCatcher and previously in Tiny Seed Literary Journal.