Winter
photograph by Kari Krogh
Winter
by Lois Huey-Heck
Layer upon layer
this
despised / beloved
season
whispers, shouts
and offers wisdom
we’re not sure we want
Lengthening nights and gathering cold
short days and long shadows
shout obscenities of mortality,
of endings and fallow time
Each beautiful bare branch
etched against the sky undeniable,
whispers,
"Don’t shoot the messenger”
Our ancestors
are not only living
talents, experiences, happiness and sufferings within us
not only fully present in the cells of our bodies*
but in this season
they are
just on the other side
of the veil grown so thin
Warm breath on the frozen liquid that is glass
warm finger
spirit-animated flesh and blood and bone
Tracing
Love
*Thich Nhat Hahn
Lois Huey-Heck
is a spiritual director, author, artist, silent retreat leader and, in the season of the pandemic, a stay-at-home grandma and caregiver. In the midst of a four-generation family sandwich, she is finding surprising spiritual practices in the grounded earthiness of living close to home. Read more about Lois here.
Kari Krogh
is a certified nature and forest therapy guide and a spiritual director trained through the Ontario Jubilee program. She has spent the last nine months living a simple contemplative life in an off-grid cabin with no running water, caring for and being cared for by a sacred forest. With a PhD in psychology, Kari has worked as an academic, health researcher, disability advocate, environmentalist and community developer.
Her current passion is to offer forest bathing and nature contemplation experiences on-line during this COVID-19 time of self-isolating and physical distancing.
For more information on offerings please see: http://EcoWisdom.ca Email Kari here and read about her spiritual direction practice here.
