You, like the Forest, Need Not Know my Name

I need to know you, or I want to be you,
or I long to be swallowed by the sea —
the predicament of a lifetime of confinement.

A boreal forest, a capsule of colour and creatures forgotten.
A trail trodden by a cat, followed by a child, a fairy,
or a wise one unknown to the outside.

Only the birds hear the whispers of trees,
the whistle of the wise, unbroken:
whole and wonderfully destructive.

Restless is the quiet magic in moss and fir cones,
in the labyrinth of deepest green.

Madison Ryan is a journalism student from Newfoundland, Canada. She is endlessly inspired by the unpredictable nature, beauty and beings of the world around her; as well as mythology of all kinds. At the time of writing, her writing has won a Newfoundland and Labrador Arts and Letters Award, and appears in Snowflake Magazine and Amon Hen. Madison is on Instagram and Twitter as @_madisonjuliet.