We drive onto a wooded lane.
They look at us with doe eyes,
For that is what they are.
Frozen in silence; they only stare.
Magical moments —
We silently watch each other, unmoving.
Until our car moves on —
Then they startle, leap, turn, and run,
Prancing, as if in a dance.
They say animals are dumb,
But that is only their tongues.
Their eyes bespeak some knowledge there,
Their beauty and grace a gift so rare.
I’ll never forget that stare.
I’d love to play all of a day
And dance on sunlit lawns,
But somehow light begins to dawn,
Or shall I say, the sunset comes?
I’d love to sing the glorious songs
And soak in beauteous tones,
But then, alas, reality,
Tells me that duty calls.
I’d love to read a book all day
Or sit by warming fire,
But others call upon my help,
And some – their needs are dire.
The truth, it seems, or partly so,
Is dishes, toilets, mold, and floors,
The cooking, baking, and bed making.
And don’t forget the many tasks
That little ones and spouses ask.
But one can dream, and may it be
That both can be reality,
And even at one time.
Hard work and toil —
And bounteous joy.
In dead of night, in silent places,
The deer creep out and take their places
For midnight dancing, their footsteps prancing.
They circle round a leafless tree,
For now it’s winter, though they might be
There other times — in summer, maybe.
Soon rabbits join them, an inner ring,
If you have ears, you hear them sing,
The lilting rabbit Hopping Song.
Next squirrels join in; it’s quite a din
To hear their tch-tch, as they grin
And join the creature chorus.
Don’t leave out mice; you must look twice
To see their little bodies quiver —
A dancing river.
So don’t disturb the animal fiesta —
You thought they would be taking siesta —
But to your wonder, you found their frolic.
Blackberries bursting
On briarly bushes.
The sun beams so bright,
Her eyelids it pushes.
The bees they are buzzing,
The butterflies bright,
The flowers are splashing —
A glorious sight.
Picturesque painting,
The colors of nature.
She laughs and she dances;
The glory-day makes her.
A song she is singing,
Her soul it takes flight.
When sunshine is happy,
She laughs in delight.
