Introduced By Amber Hall

Welcome readers! This month’s Monday Moments page marks the start of a new theme here at Write On! – ‘Reflections.’ I’ve been thinking about how moments of reflection are a crucial part of life, particularly during times of transition or change.

My own life is currently in a state of flux, and that isn’t something I’m especially good at dealing with. Almost every area is an ‘in-between’ right now, and that can be difficult for me to handle. It’s not that there are unknowns per se (though there are those too), but there’s certainly a lot of change happening, and that’s equal parts daunting and exciting. I’m trusting the process, trusting that it’s time for a new chapter and trusting that things will happen the way they’re supposed to.

Back in March, I became a proud puppy parent. I named her Brontë, after the writerly sisters who come from the same wild place in the Pennines as I do. I’ve learned a lot about slowing down from her, partly because I’ve had to (puppies can only do so much in the day!), and partly because she’s a gentle soul who loves to stop and smell the flowers, quite literally, on our daily walks. I think there’s a lot we can learn from nature in this way. The natural world moves at its own pace and in cycles, with periods of quietude that allow for the birth of the new.

It’s easy to forge ahead and forget to take a minute, particularly if there’s a lot going on in our lives. But those pauses, however brief, can help us to take stock of the moment, and think more deeply about how we got there.

The pieces I’ve chosen for my page this month explore how moments of reflection, so crucial for our creativity, can be found in nature.

First, we have a poem by Liliana Hristova, who reflects on life’s biggest questions and the interconnectedness of our journeys.

Reflection 

The end of someone’s path on earth.
May trigger wonders of your own.
May spark a flashback of your birth.
You didn’t come here on your own.

So, what is our purpose, you may ask
The reason why we go through life.
Important quest, or simple task?
Or just to take a full-on dive?

Make countless choices in a matter of hours.
Fulfil countless tasks, goals, and chase dreams.
How often do we pause to see which ones are ours?
Is this truly my path and my life or only it seems?

You can slowly unpick and unpack all emotions.
All symptoms all words and loads weighing you down.
And ask them to set their existence in motion.
Go back where they come from with a gratitude bow!

Now see the beginning of your path on earth.
Ancestral strength and wonders of your own.
Then spark reflection of re-birth.
You didn’t come here on your own.

© Liliana Hristova, 2025

Connect with Liliana on Instagram: @booksbymile, @liliana.hristova.

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 In this next poem, Tavinder New explores the power and omniscience of the natural world.

 Nature Knows

The birds in the sky,
fly, tweet, go with the beat,
go with the flow, go with the wind.

We rush, rush, rush,
go, go, go,
No time for ourselves, no time for others.

The bees fly towards the flowers,
buzz, glide, go with the knowledge,
Food is in abundance; food is supplied by nature.

We grab, grab, grab,
eat, eat, eat,
never enough to eat, never enough in the cupboard.

Nature knows the way to be,
Nature knows the right way to see.

The leaves fall, renewal of
drop, grow, become green,
show their beauty, show them themselves to the world.

We deplete, we give all,
nothing left in the tank, no time to rest,
no glow in ourselves, no soul to show to the world.

Nature knows the right way to be,
Nature knows; it understands the right way to be.
See it all around us, feel it all around
learn from it all around – nature knows.

© Tavinder New, 2025

 Connect with Tavinder on Instagram: @tavinderknew.

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Lastly, we have a prose piece by Niema Bohrayba, who writes about how nature can be a route to self-reflection and a catalyst for creativity. The final paragraph expresses something important and is, I think, a nice note to end on: Nature and writing offer us a way back to ourselves.

Reflection, Nature And The Art Of Writing

Reflection is my way of pausing and processing all the thoughts, emotions and observations I’ve accumulated during the day. It’s my time to turn inwards and find some stillness, as an antidote to the hustle and bustle of modern existence. Reflection is not only key to my growth as a person, but is also an essential part of my development as a writer.

To facilitate my reflections, I tap into the power of the natural world. Nature can nurture the process of reflection in a way very few other things can. The scent of an aromatic plant, clouds rolling steadily across the sky, wildflowers dancing in the gentle summer breeze and a magnificent sunset painting the sky a glorious shade of red, all offer a sense of vastness and calm. There’s something about the natural rhythm of nature that helps us slow down and observe our surroundings. Our manufactured environments force us to demand so much from each other, we are ‘on the go’ so much of the time, while nature invites us to take a step back and just be, emphasising our natural essence as a human being and not a human doing.

As we write, we transform a raw experience into something others can relate to. In this process, nature serves as our inspiration: through observing it, we can develop metaphors. The phases of the moon mirrors the stages of life, the quiet before the storm symbolises a moment of anticipation, while the break of dawn conveys hope and renewal. As writers, nature provides us with the imagery we need to ground our abstract thoughts in something tangible – something within our reach – something for us to share with our readers.

Writers have regularly turned to the natural world as a partner in this process. For instance, in Pilgrim In Tinker Creek, Annie Dillard’s close observations of the natural world demonstrate how deeply interwoven nature and writing can be. These types of works highlight that to write reflectively is not just to tell a story, but to ask questions: Who am I and what am I becoming? What can I learn if I really tune in to the world around me?

And tuning in is the key. Sometimes, nature offers unexpected surprises; other times, it doesn’t offer its insights easily. It requires us to engage our senses and soak up our surroundings. Now and then, with a warm cuppa in hand, I look up to find the waning moon waiting revealed by a passing cloud, a delightful surprise offered by the morning sky. On other occasions, I’ve been known to stay up all night to witness a lunar eclipse or a rising planet. I draw parallels to this in my writing process: sometimes the words flow easily, other times I labour over a paragraph for days.

In a busy world full of distractions, both nature and writing offer us a way back to ourselves. Reflection can help us find our essence. Nature reveals wisdom. And writing helps us bring all of this to life through words.

© Niema Bohrayba, 2025

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Issue 25, featuring Sheila O’Flanagan, is out now. You will find it in libraries and other outlets. Alternatively, all current and previous editions can be found on our magazines page here.

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