Abstract
This poem invites the reader into a layered experience of nature through the eyes of a mindful observer. From a single wildflower to a grove of aspens, the poet gathers impressions from the meadow and its inhabitants: birds, trees, water, fish. The speaker’s act of closing their eyes and listening becomes a moment of learning—not through books or instruction, but through quiet immersion in the living world. Written in free verse, this poem uses short lines that mimic the motion of breeze, birds, and water. There is no punctuation, creating a seamless flow. The structure echoes the gentle, undemanding way that nature teaches: simply by being.
Recommended Citation
Dewey, Hannah
(2025)
"the meadow is a teacher,"
The Cicadian: Vol. 1:
Iss.
1, Article 11.
Available at:
https://commons.und.edu/cicadian/vol1/iss1/11