Rotting Root

Elastic minds stretched to limits

Awaiting a snap,

But finding only a pull back

Towards center

Where grounding pulled them together-

Searching for a common concept

A tribe created

With balance in mind-

Steps walking the roots

Of a giant oak tree-

Hands outstretched

Creating shadows from the sun-

A human dial

Ticking down the moments with every step

A timer heading towards reset-

Paths wind deeper

Into brush and branch-

A chain of ideas making its way

Towards the shadow

With the hopes of bringing light

To the areas left untouched

Left abandoned to rot

By a list of priorities

Set forth by a humanity

That never stretched to its

Breaking point

Only to find the reassuring call

Of nature,

Calling home to center,

To the middle of a forest

Where river and forest meet

To create a sanctuary

For those in need,

Those on balancing on the edge

Of a rotting root.

Katrina Thornley is a nature poet. novelist, and freelance journalist that resides in Rhode Island. She has two poetry collections currently published, a novel, as well as a short story anthology. Her poetry collections "Arcadians: Lullaby in Nature" and "Arcadians: Wooden Mystics" were inspired by a local park and life in her small rural town. You can find them on Amazon now!

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