in the land of the mountain and evergreen
sky blue waters
the sky today though not blue
slate gray clouds congregate like hungry vultures
waiting for the moment to pounce on the unsuspecting
flurries fly by with no filed flight path
no direction known
my standard kit consisting of
blue flannel shirt and black knit hat
got my discount store blue jeans on
that like me have seen better days
coming apart brown hiking boots
forest green backpack now more of a forest brown
forest gray, forest black from campfire ashes
paintings done by mother earth
formerly partially filled with candy bars
that have devolved into empty wrappers
a bottle of water; half-full or half-empty
depending on your psychological make-up
a well-worn map, an untrusty compass
an overwhelming desire to stay in the wild
not go back to the wild west of society
every stone, twig, branch, tree, leaf— a friend of mine
sounds of birds, sounds of unknown animals
mournful wind singing acapella
throwing shivers of cold
taking it all in sitting on a rock
stage whisper stream splashing
in all its innocence
