• Submit Poetry
  • Support SCP
  • About Us
  • Members
  • Join
Thursday, October 22, 2026
Society of Classical Poets
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
Society of Classical Poets
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
Society of Classical Poets
No Result
View All Result
Home Poetry Beauty

‘In the Forest’ by Margaret O’Driscoll

December 22, 2016
in Beauty, Poetry
A A
12
poems 'In the Forest' by Margaret O'Driscoll

 

Unspoilt, unique, a soulful place
Ancient oaks all around
Scattered acorns sprouting shoots
New life emerging from the ground

I touch the parchment bark of birch
It’s leaves shimmering in the breeze
My spirit soars in the forest glade
Resurrected there among the trees

It takes me back to another time
The harmony of it all
I stand transfixed in the forest deep
When I hear a cuckoo call

Periwinkles blue as the sky above
Look up from the forest floor
Entwined with white wood anemones
In my mind’s eye forevermore

 

Margaret O’Driscoll lives in Ireland and is a very busy mother of seven and grandmother of eleven. She published her first collection of poetry in 2016, ‘The Best Things In Life Are Free’

ShareTweetPin
The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary.
Read Our Comments Policy Here

RandomPoems

‘Sidewalk Sincerity’ and Other Poems by Russel Winick
Culture

‘Sidewalk Sincerity’ and Other Poems by Russel Winick

August 11, 2025

. Sidewalk Sincerity “Hi---how are you?” he said to me, A friendly thing to say, I answered just as cordially,...

‘To Old Friends’ and Other Poetry by Joshua Philipp
Beauty

‘To Old Friends’ and Other Poetry by Joshua Philipp

January 11, 2019

To Old Friends Around the bonfire, we were brothers who sang Of joys that are gone, and the flame turned...

Next Post
‘To Michael Dana Gioia’ and Other Poetry by Bruce Dale Wise

'To Michael Dana Gioia' and Other Poetry by Bruce Dale Wise

‘Holiday Horror: A True Story’ and Other Christmas Poetry

'Holiday Horror: A True Story' and Other Christmas Poetry

‘Ticks’ by Julia Geaney-Moore

'Ticks' by Julia Geaney-Moore

Comments 12

  1. Michael Dashiell says:
    10 years ago

    A lovely poem, and love for nature.

    Reply
    • Margaret O'Driscoll says:
      10 years ago

      Thank you Michael, yes I love nature, being in a forest is a feast for the senses! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Kathy F. says:
    10 years ago

    Lovely! 🙂

    Reply
    • Margaret O'Driscoll says:
      10 years ago

      Thank you Kathy, so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Dona Fox says:
    10 years ago

    It appears that you’re in Ireland and you ‘took me back to another time’–a childhood in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. I felt ‘the parchment bark of birch,’ I saw the blue, and so much more. How could all those memories be conveyed in so few words if not for meter and rhyme, and your talent? You gave me a shiver, Margaret O’Driscoll. I’ll be reading this one many times. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Margaret O'Driscoll says:
      10 years ago

      Thank you dear Dona, I am overjoyed to have taken you back to your childhood in the Willamette Valley, it’s wonderful that you enjoy the experience!! Your comment is so lovely…so glad you like this 🙂

      Reply
  4. Neal Dachstadter says:
    10 years ago

    “Unspoilt, unique, a soulful place”

    – this is precisely what it is like on my mother and uncle’s farm…thank you Margaret

    Reply
    • Margaret O'Driscoll says:
      10 years ago

      Thanks so much Neal, great to know there are still spots left untouched, I can just picture it 🙂

      Reply
  5. Wendy Bourke says:
    10 years ago

    You paint the scene beautifully with your words. I am there.

    Reply
    • Margaret O'Driscoll says:
      10 years ago

      Thank you Wendy, so nice to have your company 🙂

      Reply
  6. Satyananda Sarangi says:
    9 years ago

    Margaret ma’am, greetings.

    I had read this poem long back. The poem takes the reader on a beautiful, pristine journey through the forests.
    Glad to be reading it again.

    Regards and best wishes

    Reply
    • Margaret O'Driscoll says:
      9 years ago

      Aah thanks so so much…so appreciate your lovely comment my friend 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


  1. Roy Eugene Peterson on ‘Life Lessons from Aunt Ingeborg’ and Other Poetry by Brian YapkoOctober 22, 2026

    Two brilliantly written poems in one reading. What a treat, My great great grandmother was an Ingeborg. She was from…

  2. Joshua Thomas on ‘Foam’: A Poem by Josh MitteldorfOctober 22, 2026

    Interesting imagery. Thank you for sharing.

  3. K.J. Salzmann on ‘Again Autumnal’: A Poem by K.J. SalzmannOctober 22, 2026

    Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

  4. Paul Freeman on ‘Again Autumnal’: A Poem by K.J. SalzmannOctober 22, 2026

    A succinct picture of autumn, with just enough words to paint a clear picture of seasonal foreboding. Thanks for the…

  5. K.J. Salzmann on ‘Again Autumnal’: A Poem by K.J. SalzmannOctober 22, 2026

    Thank you, very kind, Cynthia. While autumn is my favorite season and the season of my birth, there is a…

Subscribe to Daily Poems

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,661 other subscribers
No Result
View All Result

Resources

       1. A Guide to Writing Poetry

      2. The Best Poems of 2020      

      3. Poetry and Writing Contests

      4. Journals Accepting Formal Verse

Recent Poems

  • ‘Life Lessons from Aunt Ingeborg’ and Other Poetry by Brian Yapko
  • ‘Foam’: A Poem by Josh Mitteldorf
  • ‘Again Autumnal’: A Poem by K.J. Salzmann
  • ‘Life Is Conflictual’: A Poem by Roy E. Peterson
  • ‘The Siege on Castle Hill’: A Poem by Apollo Clark Co
  • ‘Every New Pantheon’: A Poem by C.B. Anderson
  • ‘Biblical? Emblematic?’: A Poem by Stephen DiLauro
  • ‘The Valley’: A Poem by Briana Reavis
  • The Blobfish—‘Mr Blobby’: A Poem by Paul A. Freeman
  • ‘Nature’s Family’: A Poem by Margaret Coats
  • ‘The River & The Sea’: A Poem by Rohini Sunderam
  • Poems by Derzhavin, Akhmatova, and Tyutchev, Translated by Kevin Rainbow
  • ‘After-Action Report’: A Poem by Joseph S. Salemi
  • ‘The Walking Wounded’: A Poem by Jeffrey Essmann
  • ‘Their Words, My Fault’ and Other Poems by Russel Winick
  • ‘Lazarus I’: A Poem by Jason Hunt
  • Poetry Challenge: Dictionary Delights
  • ‘In Defense of Rhyme’: An Essay by Euphrates Moss
  • ‘Gun Control’: A Poem by Kevin Ahern
  • ‘Power of a Pen’: A Poem by Janice Stanley
  • The Best Haiku of 2026
  • ‘One Night in Bangkok’ and Other Poetry by Brian Yapko
  • ‘Invocation’: A Poem by D.R. Rainbolt
  • ‘Enjoy the Peace, Prepare for War’: A Poem by Roy E. Peterson
  • Faust Part Two, Act One: ‘A Pleasant Landscape’ by Goethe, Translated by Josh Olson
  • A Song Inspired by Robert Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken’, by Gunny Markefka
  • ‘Reappraisals of Mortality’: A Poem by C.B. Anderson
  • ‘What Is the Measure of My Days?’: A Poem by Peter Venable
  • ‘Polar Coordinates’: A Poem by Adam Sedia
  • ‘It Never Lies!’: A Poem by Paul A. Freeman

Categories

  • Acrostic
  • Alexandroid
  • Alliterative
  • Art
  • Best Poems
  • Blank Verse
  • Chant Royal
  • Classical Poets Live
  • Clerihew
  • Covid-19
  • Deconstructing Communism
  • Educational
  • Epic
  • Epigrams and Proverbs
  • Essays
    • Interviews with Poets
    • Poetry Reviews
  • Featured
  • From the Society
  • Great Poets
    • Dante Alighieri
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Homer
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Robert Frost
    • William Blake
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
  • Human Rights in China
  • Limerick
  • Love Poems
  • Music
  • Pantoum
  • Performing Arts
  • Poetry
    • Beauty
    • Children's Poems
    • Culture
    • Ekphrastic
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Humor
    • Riddles
  • Poetry Challenge
  • Poetry Contests
  • Poetry Forms
    • Curtal Sonnet
    • Haiku
  • Poetry Readings
  • Rhupunt
  • Rondeau
  • Rondeau Redoublé
  • Rondel
  • Rubaiyat
  • Sapphic Verse
  • Satire
  • Science
  • Sestina
  • Shape Poems
  • Short Stories
  • Song Lyrics
  • Sonnet
  • Symposium
  • Terrorism
  • Terza Rima
  • The Environment
  • Translation
  • Triolet
  • Video
  • Villanelle

Quick Links

  • About Us
  • Submit Poetry
  • Become a Member
  • Members List
  • Support the Society
  • Advertisement Placement
  • Comments Policy
  • Terms of Use

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books

© 2025 SCP. WebDesign by CODEC Prime.