by Tessa O’Grady
Beloved Pawpawlani
I truly saw you for the first time today
As the sun rose behind your ripening fruit
Before you were just another tree
In the forest near my cabin
But as I heard your whispered invitation for water
And slowly walked towards you
I felt your feminine fullness and radiant beauty
Amidst the dry parched earth
Such stark contrast to the withered and dying tree next to you
Such a symbol of my gradual dying and shedding
During the harsh winter of the last few months
Now ready to welcome you into the springtime of my being
Kneeling at your base in reverence
As I bless your roots
Anointing them with
The water of abundant life
I stand and bow before you asking permission
To explore deeper connection
Receiving your joy at being fully honoured and appreciated
I enter into your field
I close my eyes as I allow the communion
The intimate touch and vulnerability of becoming one with you
I caress your fruit and the rich texture of your trunk
Losing myself in your mystery
Birthing into my long-forgotten Venus sensuality
My own fruits and gifts begin to ripen and expand
As we complete our last embrace
I cross a new threshold
An expanded reality of
Tenderness, beauty and fullness
Shining through every cell of my being
Thank you and blessings Pawpawlani
Till we meet again
In the wild bush of Mphumalanga
Where the birds sing us awake at sunrise
And the cow bells lull us to sleep at night
Entering into Communion with Pawpawlani is a Harvest Offering written by Tessa O’Grady, a Heartwood Certified Forest Therapy Guide based in South Africa.