do i negotiate
with the forest i am lost in
do i resent the thorns scratching at my arms
do i demand respect from this place grown in place
do i clear the growth for myself

i have climbed higher than i knew
a foreigner to these spaces
that whisper to stay in the sunny foothills
the upper reaches
require nothing of me

surrender is an option
mercy is not
and the grace here
is more severe than i have ever known
but then again
the place this place spans
is more severe still