Thoughts From a Walk by Terry Lovelette is a collection of nature poetry and reflective essays inspired by the author's hiking journeys through the mountains of Vermont. The poems capture the beauty, serenity, and spirituality the author experiences while walking various trails, including the famed Long Trail that traverses the spine of the Green Mountains.
The collection begins with poems that describe the author's sensory impressions of the forests, lakes, and rocky ridges he explores. Descriptive verses about the sunrise over Lake Unbagog and the springtime flowers carpeting a trail create vivid images for the reader. Other poems delve into the introspective thoughts and spiritual musings the solitary walks evoke in the author. Themes of finding inner peace, letting go of anxieties, and opening one's heart to the grace of nature run throughout.
The author reflects on feeling insignificant yet connected to the vastness of creation while hiking. A sense of this own smallness in the face of mountains that have stood for eons yet remain ever-changing comes across in awestruck lines. The musicality of birdsong, the tranquility of a hidden waterfall, and the companionship of forest creatures encountered on the trail all inspire verse.
Brief essays providing historical and geographical context alternate with the poems. The author shares interesting facts about the Green Mountains' geological formation and influence from glaciers and volcanoes. He also expresses gratitude to the Green Mountain Club for building and maintaining Vermont's hiking trails.
Overall, Thoughts From a Walk gifts readers with a sublime walk in the woods without leaving home. The poems and essays capture the restorative and spiritual powers of nature. Readers step into contemplative mindset, appreciating the insights and graces that time spent walking in the mountains can bring.