Hannah Fries
Naming the Trees
Svalbard Global Seed Vault
Artist Statement: Talking & Listening to Plants
For me, being a poet has come to mean much more than writing. Rather, it is a way of being in the world--giving my attention to the things of this world. It is a practice I must always remind myself of because it can be easy to forget and rush or bumble through the day without stretching outside the confines of my own mind. It is a way of pouring myself out through my senses in order to take in what I can of the intricate dance of life and form and spirit. It is about reverence and also about empathy, a stretch of the imagination, an attempt to always be aware of the sensing experience of others, whether they are human, plant, or animal. Whether I am in line at the coffee shop, in the garden with my children, or alone in the woods, I can practice. This way of being in the world is a source of joy and hope for me, even a form of prayer. And, finally, it is inspiration, underpinning everything I write.
-Hannah Fries
HANNAH FRIES is the author of Forest Bathing Retreat and the poetry collection Little Terrarium, in which these poems appear. An editor for Storey Publishing, she lives in the U.S. in rural western Massachusetts.