When I was 12, I loved to roam through the woods.
Sometimes, I’d travel with other “tomboys.”
That’s what my mom called us.
It was a term of endearment.
Other times, I was lucky enough
to have a dog as my companion.
Rarely, I went by myself.
It was the 60’s and Mom didn’t worry about me
going off by myself for hours.
I followed some paths made by humans
and narrow trails made by deer.
I studied their tracks
and those of a racoon or possum.
Every now and then, I found their bones
And brought them home like treasures.
Once I almost stepped on a big grey snake
as it slithered away from me
to hide in the protective undergrowth.
One spring day,
I walked deep into the woods.
Alone.
I’d be afraid to go alone today,
but back then, I reveled in the solitude,
taking communion from the trees.
I came to a small stream
Offering up a bed of moss
large enough to spread out on if I wanted to.
The sun fell just right across the green carpet
while the stream itself was shaded by slender branches.
I can almost remember weeping willow tresses
hanging over the stream
from the opposite side.
I lie on my stomach
prop up on elbows
and look into the water as it flows
around stones and over pebbles.
I dip my fingers into the stream
and taste its coolness,
Feel the sun on my back and legs,
I rest my head on the soft moss,
Stretch my arms out on the carpet
Palms open to the earth
and close my eyes.
One ear listens to the hum of insects
The other to the hum of the earth.
I believe I could stay here forever.
Earth day is April 22. But the earth deserves more than one day. So, here at Anything is Possible, I declare the month of April, Earth month!
For the month of April, I plan to write about the earth.
(I found the top and bottom photos on pixabay. They remind me of dreams and memories. The one of rocks in the stream was taken in Connecticut.)
Anything is Possible! 