Amy Ludvigsen, a senior at Pacelli High School and a Riverland student, died in a car accident in October.

Friday, February 04, 2000

Amy Ludvigsen, a senior at Pacelli High School and a Riverland student, died in a car accident in October. This poem, written by Amy in 1995, was read at her funeral.

Alone in the Forest

My feet are bare, my moccasins

placed neatly against a

mighty oak tree

And an agouti-colored squirrel

Chatters contentedly, while

nibbling on

a fresh acorn

From a perch three or four

lengths

above me

Letting a

few

powdery

crumbs drop

to the

ground.

the lush jade-colored

moss

beneath my

hardened

feet

Feels cool,

soft, and

moist

Creeping silently, like a morning

glory unfurling her petals to

greet

the new day.

My keen ears sense a gentle

rustling of brush,

So I direct my gaze towards

A tiny fawn, speckled with

snowy-white spots.

I move swiftly through a dense

thicket.

And approach the river

With a heavy layer of fog

hovering our it.

I breathe deeply, savoring the

flavor of the morning air

A fulfilling sweetness lingering

in my soul.

Within moments, I reach the

river

And my eyes immediately

survey the muddy banks

Where I spot several tracks

Those of the bear, the deer, and

the raccoon are all fresh

and their scents

remain in the air, vaguely.

Crouching on my knees, I lean

forward

My reflection distorted slightly

in the gurgling water

I cup my hands together, and

place them in the water

And draw out a small amount of

the chilled water

Which I

drink slowly.

The trees

around me

are dense,

and form a

large

canopy,

blocking out

much of the

sun.

A few rays

seep in,

through, and

light up one

area of the

forest

It’s here, where the sunlight

reaches with grasping hands,

that

the wildflowers and

berries grow in abundance.

In this one area of light, the

birds are at play

Singing out to one another

And all is peaceful here, with all

of the forest creatures

basking in the light.

Recollections of the families

that had forsaken me

Creep into my mind, but I fight

back

I’m on my own now, I remind

myself.

And I have the light within my

reach.

– Amy Ludvigsen