u/Artistic_Maximum3044

I have been gone out of the country for the past two weeks and I have received many emails and messages asking why I had not talked about Dolly passing away. Honestly, it has taken me a week just to process that we lost our Appalachian Angel. Then today I learned of Wendell Barry another voice of Appalachia who passed away. I finally sat down to write about both of them.

The Woodland Traveler (Photo taken by the author)

Above the endless blue sky,
a little bird rest quietly
upon a weathered branch,
holding dark berries in its beak,
a tiny treasure gathered
from the heart of the wild.

Its pale feathers shimmer softly
beneath the golden sun,
while long wings tuck gently
against its slender form.
The woodland stretches around it,
bare limbs reaching upward,
a tall trunk standing nearby
as a silent guardian.

The bird carries nature’s offering,
a simple gift from the earth,
collected among the growing wild
and carried toward a hidden nest.
The open sky surrounds the moment,
a peaceful portrait of survival,
of grace, and purpose.

The branch bends beneath the visitor,
it's rough bark telling stories
of passing seasons,
its patches of green moss
hugging like memories
to the old and faithful wood.

Every feather holds a tale
of changing days and weathered winds.
Every berry carries the flavor
of the woodland harvest,
a small reward from nature’s hand.

With bright eyes looking forward,
the bird journeys onward,
moving through the living world
with steady wings and a patient heart.

Silent branches frame the heavens,
surrounding the creature’s path,
while the landscape breathes softly
beneath the wide and open sky.

For one precious moment,
wild beauty pauses,
a delicate balance above the ground,
a glimpse of life suspended in stillness.

Nature paints this scene
with simple shapes and gentle shades,
revealing the harmony
found in open places.

And the dark berry gleams
against the waiting beak,
a tiny jewel of the forest,
carried through the day
by a graceful, winged traveler
beneath the endless blue.

-Tim Carmichael