A Greater Manchester poet says that daily walks through his local park helped him process the grief of losing his father during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mark Burnett, from Sale in Trafford, found unexpected solace in Worthington Park, where the rhythms of nature provided a sense of calm he felt nowhere else.
“I don’t think people realise how powerful something as simple as a walk can be,” he said. “Being out in nature, seeing the trees, watching the leaves fall — the whole cycle of life just came to mind.”
Burnett said this connection with nature inspired him to write a poem about his experience, now published on the Worthington Park website. Worthington Park, a 16-acre green space surrounded by residential streets, was gifted to the community in 1900 by philanthropist Mary Worthington. For the past two decades, a team of volunteers has cared for the park and its grounds.
Accompanied by his dog Otto, Burnett visits regularly. A surveyor by profession, he believes urban parks are vital sanctuaries, giving people from all backgrounds the opportunity to experience nature and engage with others.
“You meet people, you talk to people,” he said. “I’m one of life’s talkers — if I see you on the street, I’m going to stop and say ‘Morning!’ I just like interacting.”
Excerpt from A Walk in Worthington Park
by Mark Burnett
To die this perfect Autumnal death,
To bear witness to this perennial quietus.
To share this time with the trees as their leaves regress and acquiesce.
Cut adrift…
They float, flutter and tumble in freefall.
The wind whistles through the branches & leaves.
Eva squeals – “Copter daddy! Again! Copter!”
As it twists, twirls, spirals & gyrates
In the brisk Autumnal breeze.
And…
All is calm, and I am at ease
As the majesty of nature has once again spoken
And…
The truth of life is revealed.
To walk in awe
And…
To behold the reds, the golds, the yellows, the oranges, the browns
And all the shades in between.
To see the unyielding beauty in this Autumnal death,
This restores and inspires me.
