Catkins and crocuses

Stillness this morning as I step through the woods,

A moment to pause as we all really should.

The woodland has shifted on this Imbolc day,

It's hitting my senses in a very different way.

Not a branch is swaying or a leaf even turned,

But the still of the woodland is no cause for concern.

The trees are meditating in this moment of pause,

Before sap starts rising and springtime calls

, lichen drapes bud-filled branches,

As a hungry stoat takes acrobatic chances!

Woodpeckers drum and Great Tits call,

While the trees in their Stillness hold space for them all.

Bellies bloom with wood-dwelling babes,

Of mares and hinds as they quietly graze.

Catkins and crocuses rest in the Stillness,

While snowdrop verges stirs something inside us.

It seems Summer to Autumn grows anticipation,

While Winter to Spring brings Stillness of motion.

Gently nurturing the unborn future,

This Imbolc Stillness will embrace every creature.

Written by Jen Blaxall.

Photos by Roz Tucker.