What does a dog feel as she chases a ball?
What does a squirrel think as he eats an acorn?
If there were a song meant for this moment, which would it be?
What is a Tetris tournament?
How low is the water level in the pond right now? Why?
For how many millions of years did salmon and steelhead return to this place before they were no longer able?
What ecosystems do our hearts and souls need to survive?
What emerges when the ecosystem is finally restored, complete with what was missing?
What symbiotic relationships have we needed all our lives without knowing?
How many miles will I walk to process all that I have learned in this time?
How fast am I walking? How fast does it feel like I’m walking? Am I floating or walking? What has changed?
If the soles of my feet could speak, what story would they tell?
What makes a person throw a plastic fork out of their car window in front of a walking man?
Why do the oaks take the longest to bloom of all the majestic trees?
How soft is a budding leaf on a 100 year old tree?
Does a tree feel each bud as we do our children?
What about the blue sky and wispy clouds spark joy?
What does a pink flower teach? Purple? White? What do they teach in harmony?
Did God know the green grass and the blue sky would create such beautiful contrast?
How is this walk different than the 100 times I’ve done it before?
What stories would these trees tell about me?
What questions would they ask about me as I grow, passing by through my own seasons?
What is the story this walk has written?
Who will I become along these miles?
An original poem by Barrett Brooks
Written April 2025
© 2025
…but you may share this work without alteration in small group settings
… for other print or compilation inquiries, please reach out directly
Featured photo by Kimona on Unsplash