Summer Clouds: haibun

Moonfly and me took a walk through our three acre wood today. I don't know what drew us. I just followed her lead, she taking me firmly by the hand to remove me from my lethargy. First, we skirted the perimeter, peering into it's darkness and then, for a lack of caution, walked right in together as though it were an everyday occurrence.

We kept a sharp eye for wildcats, jaybirds and poison ivy (not to be confused with Ivy, the neighbor's daughter, or, trailing ivy on a blue mail box). I wore long pants and a dead man's shoes, forging ahead to clear the vague trail overgrown in green shadow, twisting south to north with others of uncertain origin intersecting here and there. Arriving at a fork, naturally, we chose the high road.

We bypassed the reed bed where many a crawdad or rollie pollie might wander for a swim or a drink. No deer or unicorns were spotted near its banks. Moonfly was easily able to escape the branches and switches that I had to duck and dodge, flitting beneath while I crashed through above.

A far piece distant, 100 yards or more, and a perilous traverse atop a block wall consumed our return home, though we managed to check ourselves for ticks and chigger bugs having safely arrived. Where's a Opossum when you need one?

'

when I was just a boy

I counted to a thousand -

summer clouds