Inciddent at the Edge of Bayonet Woods

Paula Bohince's writing resembles those of the romantics. She uses nature and animals to make metaphors and creates vivid images of nature in peace and harmony. Another thing that jumped out at me, mostly in the first few poems, was the use of the word and the figure of the father. Is this a representation of her own father or is it simply a symbol for something of a higher power than her that she is to respect by default?