Barefoot in the Woods, by Piper L. White

Poetry, chapbook, 36 pages, from Bottlecap Features.

Barefoot in the Woods dives deep into the mind of a young woman wandering aimlessly through her “woods,” or subconscious as she navigates life, both reminiscing on the past, surviving the present and hoping to soar successfully into the future. It’s for everyone who grew up wanting to go to Narnia or read Arthur Spiderwick’s field guide or follow the path of a white rabbit with a pocket watch. It’s for those who feel like they’re wasting their potential but still find time to stare at the moon. Most importantly, it’s for those who wish to run barefoot through the woods without worrying they’ll step on a sweetgum ball.

Barefoot in the Woods started as a response to Taylor Swift’s “This Is Me Trying” and tumbled out with the rest of album. It’s a reflection, one that would be seen at night in the lake when someone is most vulnerable. The woods are a place where someone can both hide and be seen, find comfort or discomfort, lose themselves or find someone they didn’t know they were looking for, but needed. It’s something we all experience whether we’ve seen it or not. Because loving people, places and things sometimes feel like walking barefoot in the woods—dirty, free, childlike and painful all at once. This is Piper White’s debut chapbook.

Piper L. White is a self published author of two, young adult books titled Flicker and Flare. She has many publications across magazines such as Atlantis, Grimsy and Carolina Muse Arts amongst others. Two of her poems have also been published in an anthology, Aphotic Love, which released in April 2022. All of her work can be found on her website https://piperwhitewrites.com and her Instagram @piperlwhite.