On the first Tuesday of each month, the Wilds Are Calling blog on PAWilds.com features one story and its related image from an edition of The Watershed Journal. This once-a-month feature is called A Watershed Moment, highlighting the talented writers and artisans in our rural PA Wilds region. These images, poems, short stories, and other creative pieces come from people of all ages, experiences, and backgrounds with ties to the western PA Wilds area.
A Watershed Moment features one story and image from each edition of The Watershed Journal, starting with its first edition and continuing from there. The Watershed Journal releases a new edition each season. The first edition was released in summer 2018, and they have faithfully continued to publish a new edition each season since then. You can find more information and find where to buy printed copies here.
Among the flowers and weeds, somewhere in between, is where I sit;
hidden under their leaves and holding onto their stems.
With whom do I belong?
For which one am I?
Will I be so sly as to escape the weed’s deadly grasp?
Am I strong enough to grow tall and bloom,
or will I simply curl in the shadows, never to face the sun?
Perhaps my roots will persevere and my stem be sturdy
that I will indeed grow boldly to the light, casting blossoms yet to be seen.
For I am dually the weed and the flower; a wildflower, unlike any other,
who has landed to root in the mud to be only what I am.
Laurie Barrett is a self-described late-blooming creative thinker who expresses herself through her many hobbies including writing, art, dance, pottery and photography. Her writing employs a creative and therapeutic approach in which she processes her journey through life’s experiences. Laurie works, writes and plays in western Pennsylvania with her husband, children and dogs.
Greg Clary is Clarion University professor emeritus of rehabilitation and human services who was born and raised in southern West Virginia. Clary earned his bachelor’s and masters’ degrees from Marshall University and his doctorate from Kent State. He and his wife, Cass Neely, have resided in Clarion County for the past 40 years.
Author: Guest Contributor
The Pennsylvania Wilds is home to more than 2 million acres of public land, 50 state game lands, 29 state parks, 8 state forests, 2 National Wild & Scenic Rivers, abundant wildlife, hundreds of miles of land and water trails, some of the darkest skies in the country, and the largest elk herd in the northeast.
The PA Wilds team is grateful to share the many stories of this region through the words and images of our talented guest contributors.