Tonight my mind comes to an abrupt stop.

In the quiet stillness, divination begins to speak.

Through the silence, I can finally see…

Transcendent beings flap their wings

Executing perfect circles around me

I am stuck at the roots of this old oak tree

Feeling its energy begin to engulf me, I wait

Closing my eyes

I hear an autumn cry 

As the wind picks up

The leaves are set about

Rustling with powerful forces

Among the night sky 

A bird lands in the palm of my hand

I feel a sense of belonging as we lock eyes

Its wings are frayed

I could feel its age

In my most vulnerable state

I looked into its sacred space 

Past its white feathers

Far deeper into the matters of its heart 

I stood face to face with something 

Beyond intellectual understanding

Time ceased to exist

In this place of peace

I learned what it means

Not to speak

Witnessing a soul

That has rid itself of egotistical thoughts

& humanistic patterns

A rare beauty unfolding within me

Overwhelmed, I forced myself from this meditative state

Only to return to my still body

Sitting under an old oak 

Watching the stars in the backdrop

As the old bird flew away

I only know what I know now 

From what I learned that day

The birds and the trees 

Hold the heart of this planet

Deep inside, they are beings of light

Their sense of self in the universe is divine

Cultivating perfection in their everyday, abstract existence