Nature is wide open,
yet we shut it out.
We treasure privacy
and hide from creation,
fearing the exposure.
The plains are wide open
with nothing to hide.
They sprawl out
across the earth,
stretching to show their eagerness.
The rivers are wide
and cannot be contained.
They are in constant
pursuit of adventure,
flowing and exploring the land.
The trees are wide open,
standing out by standing tall.
They grow up, not out,
in order to serve their surroundings,
using the vertical to become closer to heaven.
See Dakota painted on the doors
we are too afraid to walk through.
No more peeking through the keyhole.
Enter in
to the landscape that embraces.
My name is Lauren Sim and I am from Maple Plain, Minnesota. I am currently a senior at Augustana University majoring in English and Religion/Philosophy with a minor in Classics. I’ve had the pleasure of working on this project as Ann Pederson’s Teaching Assistant and hope to incorporate collaborative projects of this nature into my future work as an English professor.