Poem: by Simon Lamb, Barn retreatant

I think I’ve rather fallen for the River Dart.

This priceless stretch,
from Totnes to the Trust,
where time and type hold no sway.

A home for wildlife and wild hearts,
descending on Dartmouth,
each with their own reason...

to pause...

The outside world cannot grab you here.
Stare into those weaving, winding waters.
The Dart offers no distractions,
just a mirror on the illusion of self.

Feel into the land
which flows alongside her.
These grasslands,
and marshlands.

Woodlands,
and walkways.
Each alive with its own story.
One told to our ancestors,
another our offspring.

In unison and deference
to the many lives that dress The Dart,
sits a community.
A trust,
in name and deed.

Each week a new beginning,
versed in the ways of The Barn
by a few kind hearts.
Weaving a thread.
Creating a tapestry of unspoken connection.

A timeless, typeless community.
Dancing back from Devon,
with a newfound love of The Dart.
 

A poem written by Simon Lamb, who stayed on retreat at The Barn in early 2020.