Wetland-inspired words to mark National Poetry Day
It's #NationalPoetryDay, the annual celebration of making, experiencing and sharing poetry.
This year's theme is 'Environment', with a call to action to find or write a poem that speaks about something you’d like to change or praise about the environment.
In celebration of wetlands and the restorative power they have for our wellbeing, we've written our own free verse poem to share with you. We hope you like it!
'The Wetland Breathes As I Breathe'
The wetland breathes as I breathe
It’s lungs, my lungs
It’s heart, my heart
I visit each season, more often if I can
Checking in on it
Checking in with myself
A jay chatters in the tree canopy overhead
Winter is coming and his frantic search for acorns has begun
His secret stash to sustain him through the colder months
As his presence will sustain me
I watch two tufted ducks up-ending on the pond
Their sleek humbug bodies send ripples skittering towards the edge
Diving for food, they resurface and submerge time and again
I wonder how long they’ve been doing this
The cool, dark water speaks of centuries
Life comes and goes here
It ebbs and flows
And my highs and lows
Are reflected back to me
I visit the wetland each season, more often if I can
I stand near the rushes and breathe
This place, so fragile in its balance
Strengthens me somehow
I feel worry in the deep pool of my stomach
But my heart flutters bird-like with hope and dives down to calm it
And I feel my bones through my skin
For more poetry inspired by the environment, head to the #NationalPoetryDay website and check out this selection curated by the organisers https://nationalpoetryday.co.uk/poems/
