Find a bit of wild, green space in your town or city. Set aside some time to hike some new trails—next to water or woods, or even just in a larger city park—and be present with what you can see, hear, smell, and touch. This is an excursion into mindfulness.
The world is busy, and it seems to get busier and busier every day. Getting outside into nature can help us to re-centre ourselves and learn to observe how poetry lives in the natural world. If you can, find a spot to sit quietly. If you put your hands on the trunk of a tree, or if you reach out a leaf, what do you notice? Write a list of words—at least five of them—that best describe the details of a tree trunk or leaf.
Close your eyes and notice what sounds you can hear around you. What scents drifts towards you as you sit in observation? Focus on one sense at a time, and then write down any words that arrive in your mind. Concentrate and be present in your body.
When you’ve had a bit of time to sit, open your eyes and jot down a list some key words and phrases that come to mind. Don’t censor yourself. Let those key words and images—borrowed from a space of stillness—help you to write a first line. Then, try following that first line with a series of images that you’ve jotted down.
See what sort of poem arrives…after a bit of silent observation.