Amongst The Woods Poem by Paul Reed

I like to be amongst the woods
In shaded places
With a suggestion of sunshine
Where the birds sing high in the treetops
And hopes soar alongside;
I like to be in quiet places
Where footsteps are dampened
And strident voices not heard
Where the kingdom belongs to someone else
And not us;
Where breezes carelessly play through the leaves
Where thick boughs hang imperious
In their maturity;
Where the test of time has been stood
And peace still exists;
I like to be amongst the woods
Where the oak rings lie hidden
In gnarly trunks
And the squirrel dashes with the hare
Where there are soothing things everywhere;
I like to be amongst the woods