Reflections on the forest at night

I recently was able to climb Mt. Jefferson, a magnificent peak in the center of Oregon. In order to summit a peak such as this, you have to get an early start in the morning: in our case, we left the car a little before 4 am. I found the forest at night to be a unique and complex place.


In the forest at night
you feel small
trees stretch upwards
beyond sight
humbling your
conqueror's mentality.

In the forest at night
mystery reigns supreme
as your single headlamp
illuminates but a fraction
of what surrounds you

In the forest at night
distance and time become relative
in the dark
only the present matters
only your next step matters

and fear is an option
as it always is
fear could overtake you
in your steps as you walked
fear of being small
fear of the unknown
fear of being present.

so you choose
whether the forest at night
is a place you really want to be.