Vacation Tale - The Woods

A Vacation Tale: The Woods

Evenings at the dinner table, my gaze would fall upon the window

My son would ask "what are you looking at it's creeping me out"

"That path out there, something odd about it," I'd say

Feeling that prickly feeling of something looking back, I'd quickly turn away

 

Feeling brave and wanting to know why I was creeped out

I set down the path the next morning

I could feel the pricklies run down my arms

Nervously looking to the sides

The trees and thicket forming dark shadows

The door to my imagination being thrown wide open

Is that a legless torso I see? Is it moving? Coming this way?!

I fight the urge to run 

Back there in the woods! Rising from the ground! A silhouette!

Wide eyed my head shoots right to left afraid of something grabbing me

Something pulling me into the shadows, down the path, down to....!!

I gulp and remind myself it's my imagination run wild

Focus, I tell myself

As I break my wide-eyed stare on the perceived horrors I look around

And now sadly I see death and decay

 Focus! I chastise myself before the sorrow overwhelms me

And then I see that which I had glazed over

while looking through fear and sorrowful eyes

I forgot to see

...the beauty of new growth 

 ...the beauty of imperfections

 ...the beauty of those I matter to

~ ~ ~ ~

Can you see how dramatic my imagination can be?

Can you imagine being with me in the dark?

But I have to admit I see some similarities here

Sometimes walking my path is rather scary 

Wanting to run to the end (or back to the beginning)

Not knowing what waits up ahead

Letting fear, sorrow, pity immobilize me

My tale reminds me that on my path I need to focus

Not race to the end, not take the birds-eye view

in the hopes of avoiding the monsters that lurk in the dark

but to see, really see, and appreciate 

all that I am bound to encounter on my journey

that is what makes it all worthwhile

 ~ ~ ~

I did warn you you'd be subjected to trees

I forgot to warn you about the drama

tee-hee

and yet the creepy woods lie waiting....heehee
(oh and thanks for being patient while I figure out my camera)