The Forest by Katie Setterberg

When the wounded wail
the air stops,
the trees still in the sacred
space of the dark

bending again only at the will
of the spirit’s wind,
bowing to the waker of souls
whose work is wonder unknown
to the likes of man.

Through the groans and shouts
the roots break ground
threaten to tangle up the
courageous ones calling forth mercy,
rolling out justice on the soil of truth.

Not to be overshadowed
are the vines that hang
just low enough to tangle
the reach of hands lifted up
towards their maker,

pulling at the prayers
of beating hearts unbound
by the power of grief,
set free in the face of the forest.

It’s here shadow and light meet
on the holy ground of mourning,
in the wildness of a wilderness
still alive in the dark.

Katie is a mother of three, a writer, and a professional counselor.  As a pastor’s wife, she also deeply values community and spiritual formation.  Katie loves to write at the intersections of faith, motherhood, and mental health.  Alongside poetry and prose, Katie has a passion for children’s books and published her first picture book in 2020.  She believes the stories we hear and the stories we tell have a profound impact on who we become.