I was walking on a forest path one cool autumn evening when I heard a fluttering sound worth investigating. I peeked into a small clearing amazed by what I could see thousands of Monarch butterflies clinging to the trees. Wings of orange and black fluttering in the air amongst the pine tree branches so captivating and rare. I could not believe my eyes such a surprising sight it was thousands of Monarch butterflies then sc...
No matter how long he stared at the fuel gauge, he knew that it would not budge. Out here in the middle of the countryside, in the middle of a forest, in the middle of the track that doubled as a footpath and road, he was stranded in his brand new Vauxhall, faced with a long walk. He'd even forgotten to bring his mobile phone, so there was no way of communicating with anybody unless he walked to the nearest phone-box, or...
My parents were on a business vacation and we children were not eager to accompany them. My father convinced me to stay in our cottage where we have been spending our summer since the beginning of first grade. The cottage was located in northern Sweden, in the middle of nowhere. Our nearest neighbour lived 40 minutes away and there was not much to do either. The wildlife was the only surroundings since the cottage was bui...
The Muse (Raanana, March 31, 2019) I feel a bitter pleasure in remembering that day In the forest outside our small village. I was walking down a leafy path Toward the little lake where I would sit By the water with my back against a smooth rock To make some modest sketches And write what came to me. Down the shore a ways The woman sat as was her wont Without a stitch of clothing on her Back against the generous trunk of...
I placed my left foot into the stirrup then, taking hold of Fleet-Foot's snow white mane and with my other hand on the saddle, bent my knee and pushed up, swinging my leg easily over his back, the loose material of my dress spreading out over the saddle. I took a moment to settle myself and adjust my cloak over my horse's back, then looked across at Astrid. She was already mounted and looked fearsome in her brown leather...
As I lay on the thick straw mattress, sleep would not come. I listened to the sounds about me, the creaking of the timbers of the great hall, the faint sounds, beyond our chamber, of the soldiers sleeping and guards moving about as they changed watch. I could hear sounds in the forest outside, birds fluttering between the trees and animals scurrying through the undergrowth but mostly I listened to the soft rhythm of Princ...
He stared in disbelief as fire consumed the world. On every side it raged, roaring through century-old trees like a blowtorch through dry straw. He watched detached, as animals scampered to and fro in terror and he realized in an offhand way that he was completely surrounded now, the heat an impenetrable wall. Still he remained frozen, bearing witness to the horror as acres of forest were incinerated. Then, a massive bran...
I turned around and looked up just as an arrow seared the air next to my face. I scanned the mountain side, looking for the projectile's owner. But in the dense woods, it was difficult to see. My heart began beating rapidly within my chest as the fear I would soon be killed slowly sank in. There was nowhere left to run, and nowhere left to hide. I turned and started half-running, half-sliding my way down the pine needle c...
Adderall sunshine lights me upBefore a swift northeastern wind Cools me under black clouds. Aqua stains old poems When Bedouin rain drops Descend upon us from the dune like cumulus. The dust and sweat of China Wash down from the bill of my hat Mixing in with the Georgia red Like some earthy consummation of the love in my heart for both. Cold curtains wrap around me Sending a shiver through me. I was caught up in a poem Wh...
The darkness surrounds me Like a forest Of black tree's But In the clearing There is a light That Shines Brighter than Bright It shall guide me So that I may fly Away from this place Of despair The Darkness is closing in I cannot stop it The light is fading I feel cold and lonely I am sinking into the Pit of despair I am lost in the darkness Now and forever
I was out one day driving to Lake Tahoe. It was a long way from home, but a nice drive. I was on a back road in Jackson CA, when I stopped at a small diner for lunch. I also needed to take a break and freshen up. The small town beckoned me to stop and visit. When I had plenty of time to drive, I avoided the interstate. California had some interesting small towns in unusual places. Jackson was one of those towns. Jackson w...
Whose woods are these? I guess, I’ll never know. His house might be in Portland . . . or Seattle. He wouldn’t care to know That I pedal past his trees And marvel at the way they grow Line after golden line of leaves March toward the paper-mill Over the hill, to become a bill Or a flier that gets thrown away It seems such a disgrace To force chaos from a forest And grow cottonwoods Just for waste.
There were little fireflies in the dark sky, and that's how I knew it was nighttime. Momma called them stars, and I always loved looking up at them. There was also an enormous white will-o'-the-wisp that watched over the fireflies, but Momma called it the moon. Momma sometimes let me sit outside the place where we sleep to look up at the stars with her, and that's what I was doing now. The place was peaceful. Many others...
I awoke to the sound of leaves falling and birds chirping. I opened my eyes to see the sun shining brightly through the leaves of autumn trees. Achingly, I rose and brushed myself off. I felt different, not like when I turned into a werewolf that had an instant burning sensation of the transformation, but a subtle awareness of another presence within me. I looked down to assess myself, what happened to me last night? Leav...
Mary turned to look back one last time at the only home she had ever known. Leaving had been the hardest thing ever – yet she had no doubt that harder things still lay ahead. She had packed hurriedly, wanting to be gone before the townsfolk showed up with their kindness. She took care while packing, not wanting to take anything that would be missed. Her plan would only work if the town believed that she had been taken aga...
