(I found this in my drafts folder and wondered why I didn’t post it. Probably because I was traveling and got COVID on my way out of NH.)

A bird landing on a branch makes me smile

The hum of crickets and other tiny creatures comes in and out of my conscious awareness

A cat lies still in the grass under the shade of a small tree, watching, waiting

Crows caw while a boat motor hums in the distance, traveling further away

The breeze cools as light slowly fades making shadows long

The smell of pine and oak mix with ragweed, fern and maple – so subtle and yet divine

The world feels at peace, and yet it is not

Nature grounds my soul, but my heart still cries out

Why do we humans not harmonize like the elements?

Why don’t we learn how to be ourselves and support one another?

So lovely, the sights and sounds, the smells and tastes,

the texture of life in harmony with itself.

Is it only meant to be a reprieve, a refuge, a reminder of what is good?

Or could our days be filled with such love and beauty always?

Wherever I go, this feeling of New Hampshire will remain in my heart.