Create a clearing in the dense forest of you life

I've always loved Martha Postlethwaite's poem Clearing. Recently, though, I've found myself wanting to remix parts of it.

In particular, her language of "saving" and "rescuing" the world doesn't quite capture my understanding of solidarity. Nor does the line that we "should not try to save the world". I don't believe our response to these times should be a shrinking of ambition. We need radical, system-level change.

And yet, the spirit of the poem remains one I deeply cherish.

There are times when we need to create a clearing in the dense forest of our lives and make sense of what is ours to offer.

For me, that clearing comes through meditation practice and time spent on retreat.

It's one of the reasons I care so deeply about offering writing and meditation retreats in Pembrokeshire. Through silence, digital detox, nourishing food, rest, community and connection with the natural world, the retreats create the conditions for something many of us rarely experience: enough spaciousness to hear ourselves again.

Recently, I found myself returning to Clearing and reworking parts of it. The result was this:

If you want to change the world

you don't need to start with something grandiose.

Instead, create a clearing in the dense forest of your life

and wait patiently there

until the song that is only yours to sing

falls into your own cupped hands

and you recognise and greet it.

Only then will you know how to give yourself to this world so worthy of your care.

A Writing and Meditation Retreat in Pembrokeshire

From 20-25 September 2026, I'll be returning to Pembrokeshire to host my next writing and meditation retreat.

The retreat brings together creative writing, meditation, journalling, silence, community and time in nature. Together, these practices create a clearing in which we can reconnect with ourselves, our creativity and what is ours to offer the world.

If the idea of creating a clearing resonates with you, I'd love to welcome you there.

Places can be secured with a £175 deposit. You can find more information about this writing and meditation retreat and book your place here.