I went to Lake Bonny Park for this Assignment and Stayed for at least Forty Minuntes

I went to Lake Bonny Park today.
There are trees all around. Some tall,
 others short, while still others are mere
stumps. The woods remind me of the
forest scene from The Scarlet Letter. Now
I'm at the lake. A crane lifts off, flies
over the water, and disappears. It's so peaceful
here. Even with the sound of cars and voices
of children from a nearby playground, it
somehow feels like I'm the only person in
the world. This is a nice place to come when
you want to walk and think without interruptions.
I'm on the walking path now, let's see
where it leads me. The winding pathway
led me to a footbridge from here I can see
across the lake. There are houses on the other
 side. From this solitary world they seem
so far away. I wonder, who lives
in these houses and what kind of people they are?
I'm heading back to the car now, but this  has been nice. I hope
to do this again.

That wasn't actually a poem. It was just some of my musings about the scenery while I was at the park.
This was a very enjoyable experience. It was great to spend some time in the solitude and quiet of nature.
When I first got to the park I walked along the path for a few minutes, then went down into the woods where
I stood looking at the sky, trees, and lake. Like I said in my so-called poem, the woods reminded me of the forest scene in The Scarlet Letter, especially the way the sun played off of the trees and ground. I didn't try
to think or write deep thoughts about my surroundings. I just let them come and wrote them down as they came to me, kind of like what I'm doing right now. This assignment was beneficial because it helped me remember that it's important to occasionally go off by yourself to dwell in and embrace the silence the world can offer you. And you don't have to go to a place like Lake Bonny Park in order to accomplish this. Bush Chapel is a great place to go to if you feel the need to be alone to pray, to read, or to just revel in the quiet.
In her poem Messenger Mary Oliver stated that her work was "standing still and learning to be astonished."
While I wasn't able to stand still for longer than a few seconds, I certainly was astonished. The sky was so big and wide, filled with white fluffy clouds. The sun sparkled off the water. Everything was so green. I wish
I could have stayed longer but I knew I couldn't hold up my ride and, anyway, I had to get back so I could study. But this assignment was definitely worth forty minutes.