In the Shadows

by Ashley Whittemore

IN THE SHADOWS

In the shadows
below the tree line,
in the canyon
where the mountains’
  toes
touch,

I found a place
where flowers still bloom,
and birds still chirp
as they hop
hop
hop

their way among
the roots of trees—
too big for human
hands to climb or
minds to grasp,

where hope lies
low and quiet,
content to rest,
content to wonder,
content
to
    wander.

In the shadows
below the tree line,
in the canyon
where the mountains’
  toes
touch,

I found a place to
find
You.

ASHLEY WHITTEMORE

Ashley is a writer, poet, editor for The Way Back to Ourselves, and a former missionary. After moving back to the United States unexpectedly from a life overseas, she began writing about living in the tension of dreams deferred and hope sustained as a pathway to healing. Her previous work includes writing for Calla Press, Red Tent Living, The Way Back to Ourselves, and many others, including having poems and chapters published in various collaborative books. She currently lives in the Southeast with her husband and three kids. When she is not writing, you can find her triaging the needs of her garden and dogs or reading a good book.

You can find Ashley on Instagram @ash.whittemore, where she shares poetry and prose that connect the reader’s heart to the tangible world around us, where God’s goodness is so often found in the simple elements of daily life.