Yellowing aspens with patchy white coats.. #Poetry

Yellowing aspens with patchy white coats

give way to spruce and Norway pines

with deep cool shade and rich pine scents.

Ahead, a porcupine waggles its spines.

A blanket of pine needles quilt the path.

A startled chipmunk leaps behind logs.

In the canopy above, a Stellar’s jay flutters

above a symphony of crickets and frogs.

A hawk’s sharp cry recedes far above.

A stick transforms into a black snake

that slithers dangerously beneath our feet.

A waterfall rumbles in a distant lake.

Now, far in the forest, damp with dew,

dark shadows deepen and chill the air.

The forest’s a cathedral of quietude

with emerald moss carpets glistening there.

Amid the dense woods, a clearing appears

and there’s a slight movement, our senses aware.

A deer is watching as we watch the deer.

For endless seconds, we quietly stare

before the deer quietly slips away.

Then three more pass without a sound.

We follow the path with invigorated steps.

We’re changed and awed by the beauty all around.

© VishalDutia