When I was young I followed my
Brother and sister into the woods
Oh how I loved walking the paths
Discovering rocks and bugs and plants
Spying the occasional squirrel or deer
Or hare, and plenty of birds
There were creeks with tadpoles and toads
And boundless little fish
The trees were in all sizes and kinds
There were vines and ferns and toadstools
Every day we came back home with stories
My hands and clothes and shoes were covered with mud
Mom would clean me up and serve us all a meal
I will never forget those days and how much they meant to me
How I long to fix my knees and go hiking in the woods again.