I had the honour and privilege of being the Poet-In-Residence for the Nature's Blueprint community event in Autumn 2025.

The beauty of community is the ability to draw on a wide array of people with different gifts to deliver the same message seasoned with their own unique flavour.

Annie Lee, Cara, Miriam and I were facilitators in the flesh while Lucy joined us via a recorded video message.

The day included a range of creative coaching tools that offered a space for fresh thinking and deep reflection.

There was walking, talking & sharing delicious food. We drew on the wisdom of the group to inspire our capacity to:

Reconnect

Experiencing a deeply rejuvenating connection with nature, and like-minded people in central Bristol.

Reimagine

The opportunity to feel refreshed, inspired, and reimagining what’s possible for ourselves and the world.

Respond

Preparing our next steps with the support of a network of changemakers. For those starting fresh or seeking more clarity in their journey.

There were so many inspiring personal stories from the attendants, inspiring a collective desire to connect with nature and help drive positive change.

This series will provide a poetic journey through the day and highlight key aspects for reflection, beginning with a recognition of our deep relationship to nature.

Nature on legs

By Frank Bolaji Irawo

Starting to appreciate nature

'Out there'

Learning to treat it better

Something made much easier

When I came to discover

I am 93% stardust

Same stuff nature is made of

I guess that makes me

Nature on legs

We are continuing our poetic reflections of the Nature's Blueprint community event in Autumn 2025. In part 1 of the series, we discovered that humans are nature on legs (Click the link in the comments section below to catch up on the series)

Cara went on to make some observations about humans being a complicated version of trees. On reflection, do you get what she is trying to say?

It's complicated

By Frank Bolaji Irawo

It has roots

It bears fruit

It breathes in reverse

Won't always be

Where it should

Or do what's

For all our best good

What else to expect

From a tree

With complicated

emotions

Human tree

By Frank Bolaji Irawo

Seeds planted, they grow

Time passes, sun shines, and water flows

In the richness of time, leaves flourish, flowers bloom

Creating seed for the next generation to bear witness to

The miracle of the human tree

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What other parallels can you draw between us and trees?

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