A Poetic Forest Healing Walk with Mary Oliver

"Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting— over and over announcing your place in the family of things" assures Mary Oliver. This Sunday under the damp blue sky, and air swelled with birdsong - we shall enter poems that speak of the majesty & mystery of the world, its invocations & sweet announcements.

Dillipoetry invites you to a two-hour-long healing forest walk at Subhash Bose Park, Kochi. The walk will bring into play Mary Oliver’s poetry as prompts and reflective tools to immerse in the forest. Oliver, who claims to be saved by the glad sight of trees, is one of the most loved poets of our times. Her poetry is a quiet saunter down the woods - inviting us to simply ‘go easy, to be filled with light, and to shine’.

The walk is going to be a dual odyssey: an inward exploration through reflective verse, and an outward one, with nature serving as both guide and vessel. The mindful engagement of the senses shall gently intertwine with the flow of moving poetry, creating a raw, dynamic mix of calm, creativity, and connection.

About the host: Rachit is a poet and the founder of Dillipoetry—a literary platform known for its thematic and experimental poetry walks, workshops, and programs. He also serves as the Creative Head at Youth Alliance, where he designs and facilitates transformational leadership programs for young social leaders from across the country. With over a decade of experience in the social development sector, Rachit has worked across a wide range of social issues. His poetry and writings have been published in 25+ literary platforms and anthologies. Most recently, his series "Memories of Yami" and "The Asthma City" —poems tracing the course of the Yamuna River through Delhi, and the city's worsening air crisis—were published by Down To Earth magazine.

Guided by a vision to de-pedestalize poetry, Rachit has conceptualized and led poetry programs exploring themes such as the climate emergency, neurodivergence, architecture, gender and sexuality, countering hate speech, environmental romanticism, and poetry of resistance.

He has performed at BBC Contains Strong Language—the UK’s largest poetry festival—twice (Leeds 2023, Bradford 2025), and has also performed at The French Institute India, Goethe-Institut, Alliance Française. etc. He was featured on BBC Radio 3’s acclaimed literary show, The Verb. He's the Lead Poet & Advisor to O.P Jindal University's on-going program 'We are meant to Sing as One'