In the Company of Giants

 Standing alone at night in the winter woods is a spiritual thing

but doesn’t require much for faith other than a good pair of boots.

It may be directly under the forest canopy, 

or could be just off an old cabin set of steps, 

tea held tight by mitted hands, 

steam dancing the edges of a cold nose and lip. 

Remembering hot blood in the body.

Looking out is next, beyond foreground to some magical luminescence

 that seems sanctified only by the distant howl of one lonely wolf, 

or the long ‘hoot-hoot’ of a Great Horned Owl hiding high, 

or the ‘drip-drip’ of a foot-long icicle,

Remembering wood song and predators and ears to hear them with.

Looking past scrawled-upon log steps, 

into the mesh of alder brush and past creek pillows dipping into darkness,

drawing with an imaginary brush the linear strokes of moonlight between trees.

Remembering shadow shapes and following lines to darker, darting, more liquid ones.

Standing alone at night in the winter woods, in the company of giants. 

Swirling mist and tea and time. 

Heavy and slow breath in softness, like a pulse of time the forest also keeps.

Frozen toes and pupils adjust, up and down the forms of massive pines.

Ears bend to the windless night. Humble knees. Here comes moon.

Praying isn’t so easy as this.

….

I originally set out to create a solo pine tree that would show the patterns of lace agate through the backplate of this necklace, cutting with my jewelers saw the center tree first, freehand as the little teeth on my blade would allow. I added the adjacent two as partners later in the build, after sitting with it for some time, as the original solitary tree seemed so lonely. This piece quickly became an homage to these quiet giants standing tall, and the gift of  feeling completely at ease out in the winter full-moon woods.

 ‘In the Company of Giants’ Necklace. 2022.

In the next shop update TBD.