Write a poem, plant a tree

The 2023 POEM FOREST Prize is open, so it’s time to craft your best nature poem, and make positive climate action with your words – every poem plants a tree

Natalie Bühler, poet and digital coordinator at Red Room Poetry, discovered her poetic voice by connecting with nature.

Here, she shares five ways to appreciate Mother Nature and get in touch with your inner poet:

1. Meditate in nature

Step outside. Breathe. Sit with a tree. Listen to its secrets. Meditate. Play Ngarayamūrah – Listening to Country – a poetic meditation by Nicole Smede. How did the meditation and being in nature make you feel? What secrets did the tree share with you?

2. Connect to your senses

Find a spot in your local park, bush, or beach and use your senses to observe. First, describe everything you see. Then, try focusing on what you can smell – maybe there’s fragrant eucalyptus in the air, or it has rained recently. Next, feel the bark of a tree, the edges of a leaf, or the sand between your toes. Can you find a simile to describe what it feels like? Finally, tune into your hearing and try to name all the sounds around you, like the squawking of cockatoos or the droning of a plane. When you get home, try writing down all your sensory impressions. You’ll be surprised how poetic it will sound!

3. Build an altar in nature

POEM FOREST Judge and youth climate activist Varsha Yajman asks us to consider how intergenerational stories connect with the natural world. To connect with those who came before you, create an outdoor altar and decorate it with offerings from nature. It could be as simple as a tree stump covered in green moss with fallen leaves and banksia pods, or a little spot in your garden with a photo or drawing. Sit there and let your mind wander to your ancestors, and how they might have interacted with the natural world.

4. Read nature poems

Read One Breath (Manawa Kotahi) written for POEM FOREST by Harper Murray, one of last year’s prize winners (below). Harper uses repetition to create a refrain with rhythm to illustrate his main idea – ‘One breath is all it takes’. What does this repetitive phrase mean? Select a few words that describe the main idea of your poem inspired by the landscape around you, your inner feelings, or even from ancient mythology. Start each stanza with those words. How does it change the rhythm of your poem?

5. Plant something and watch it grow

Whether it’s in your backyard, on the balcony, or in a community garden, planting a living, growing organism into the earth is one of the best ways to connect with nature. Connect with local First Nations people to learn what native trees and plants are best suited to your area. You can also research to find out what plants are needed for habitat, and explore what soil and water conditions are needed to help your plant thrive. Write about your plant as you watch it grow – how it changes, how other flora and fauna interact with it, and how it makes you feel.

If you’d like to learn more poetic tips, read more about native plant species, or refine your writing skills, ask your parents to help you download the free POEM FOREST learning resource at redroompoetry.org/projects/poem-forest

Once you’ve written your nature poem, enter it in the POEM FOREST Prize! Red Room Poetry, in partnership with Wollongong City Council, plants a tree for every poem received, and all poems are published in the Red Room Poetry digital library and go in the running for exciting prizes, including $500 in cash.

One Breath (Manawa Kotahi)
By Harper Murray

One breath is all it takes,
Just the gentle pull of the immense sea.
Sinking until you feel weightless,
To go down and feel free.

One breath is all it takes,
To be present and aware,
Knowing you can’t stay below the whipping waves forever,
And to realise that you’re a drop of water in a vast ocean.

One breath is all it takes,
To feel the current softly pulling you,
Letting it take you to where you need to be,
Embracing ever flowing energies,
In the arms of Tangaroa.

Harper belongs to the Ngāpuhi peoples of Aotearoa and acknowledges his ancestors and community for their care of te reo.


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