“Psithurism” by Jill Bai
This is an acrostic poem, and the word it spells is “Psithurism,” which means the sound of wind through trees. Though it is not stated directly, I intended for the poem to focus a tree or trees in the wilderness. The poem describes the scenario of someone--perhaps a wander--walking through woods and thinking about how nature (written as a quite angelic figure) changed drastically from flourishing with magic to ultimately going away with human industrialization. It ends with a pessimistic tone, but also encourages us to protect our environment we loved as a kid, in the old times.
Perfect, peaceful, and pleasant,
Sewing magic on footless roads.
It shivers and shrivels out of sight,
Trav’ling away, a wounded knight.
Her sweet hair caressed by the wind,
Unraveling its angelic features.
Read and seen in the children’s mind,
It went away, with all the creatures.
Savor its whistling sounds I did.
Marred its whispers I loved as a kid.
Wanderlust - Summer 2022