safety – Leaf And Twig

Cautious Exploration

is it safe?
let me look further
then I’ll give you a high sign

anchors down
spirits buoyed
by community

hunting season
even the sumac
wears safety orange

we pile up
our quartered logs
to see us through

even winter
seeks the comfort
of a nest

as cold gathers
at the marsh’s edge
and starts to fill the sky

and understand
these woods hold
room enough for both of us

the better shelter
from the storm
is found with others

trees tell
tales of freedom
outside the garden fence

the three
in the deer yard
oversee the four cardinal directions

an unknown is spotted
the white tail flashes
then the blur of disappearing

watching from the woods
a gentle soul
gages her safety

The burn pile
awaits the safety of snow
before the dance of flames.

We are safe beneath the peaks and eves
as cold gathers in the big grey sky.

Tired of the raids by bears and man the bees have moved on.
Now they keep their honey hoard safe in the hollows of old trees.