The trees seemed to sigh with me. They always do. A joint intake of breathe, a moment of stillness amongst the movement of the world outside. It’s vastness never scared me. An interlocking network of bramble and hawthorn, interrupted by precipes’ of oak, maple, pine. Beneath their ancient leaves is the only time I get to breathe. The only place where time slows to a manageable pace.

My chest rises and falls, a slow release. I walked a different path today. Not the sharp climb I normally take. Today I had more time. More of a chance to sit, to listen. To wander deep into the dappled shade, the robins and cuckoo doves serenading my stroll, deep,deep,deeper.

The rich hues of autumn are littered around me, the last embers of a flame dying in a cold hearth, spluttering on the masonry. Their vibrancy warms me despite the brisk air.

I come to an alcove I have not ventured to before. As our familiarity with each other grows, the woods direct me to one of its more intimate spots. A peppering of moss, bracken ferns and forget-me-nots adorn the carpet of grass keeping the gnarled toes of the trees warm. A breeze tickles the flowers, skipping merrily through the grass, climbing nimbly up the boughs, settling among the last moments of autumn clinging desperately to their perches.

It was as the breeze found it’s target, the maple leaf caught In its web, floating down to its earthen resting place that I stopped. The grass parted with the winds breath, an invitation to sit and rest. My legs stretched beneath me, flowing from my core, an imitation of the roots nestled below. I let loose a breath, and stare at the umbrella of life above me, watching it sway, bend, move. A well practiced waltz.

I let the last shreds of tension leave my body, a temporary solace of calm away from the bustle of every day. I dove deeper in myself, free as the wind, bending with the trees.