This world, as itself,
unfolds quietly,
often imperceptibly.

Nothing requires attention,
and yet we might learn much
by slowing our cadence
beneath the noise and din.

Tending ourselves helps heal our world.
It isn’t only repairing what’s broken.
It is also allowing new organization to emerge.

Death and life,
in an eternal dance.

After a wildfire, healing isn’t just about replacing lost trees.

The fire has irrevocably altered
the entire ecology of the forest.

And it must reorganize
around what remains.

Different fungi appear.

Seeds that have lain dormant germinate.

Bird populations return.

The forest floor
lies exposed.

Watersheds,
often filled with debris,
must clear themselves
as best they can.

Often,
the flow of water changes.

An entire system
must shape itself
around a new condition,

a new coherence.

This takes time.

There can never be
a return
to what once was.

This is nature’s way.

Human beings
are no exception.