The Path is Made by Walking

[alycewilson]

This is my entry for LJ Idol. The topic this week is "The Path is Made by Walking."

'The Path is Made by Walking'

Ahead, because she must always
lead, my sister's bitty
chihuahua forged through
Indiangrass and Little Bluestem,
nosing ahead and making muddy tracks.
My sister, holding the thin leash, savored
the chance to use her naturalist skills.
She pointed out American hogpeanut,
with its edible tubers. (I found
a Stinging Nettle, by accident.)

We pushed through underbrush, ankles
lashed by nettles on the Eastwood Meadows
trail. Visions of languid grasses,
spotted with vibrant flora,
evaporated the moment we ventured
from the overgrown access road onto
the weed-choked trail.

Our kids, curious at first, soon soured
on the adventure. Bushwacking
did not appeal to them. They wanted
open spaces, a sky abuzz with bees
and butterflies. Wild bouquets
of Cornflowers and Oxeye Daisies.
What they'd been promised. Not
this dense brush, with its narrow
vestige of footpath. With a measure

of relief, we turned around. We fought back
to the car, exchanged the prickly grass
for fantasies of wooded glades
we would seek again tomorrow.



I took this photo of white fungus on a mossy log in front of dense green trees in the Allegany State Park where the hike in this poem took place.

Comments

[mollywheezy]

Beautiful photo! I'm with your kids, LOL. I'd rather walk in an open space, or even better, a botanical garden. ;)

[alycewilson]

Thanks! We love botanical gardens. It's one of our favorite fun times when we get together, especially with my sister, who can tell us details about the plants we see.

[mollywheezy]

My husband and I always visit botanical gardens when we travel. We were members of our local one for decades before we had to cut back on superfluous spending. :( It would be great to have someone in the know to walk through the gardens with you! :)

[alycewilson]

She does make it very interesting!

[adoptedwriter]

So descriptive. Nice photo.

[alycewilson]

Thank you! I happened to spot that fungus when we stopped for a water break on a trail that was more open the next day.

[muchtooarrogant]

I loved this, especially, "Our kids, curious at first, soon soured
on the adventure." Yeppers, been there, lived that! LOL

One of the things I really enjoy about your poetry is that it tells an unambiguous story. Sure, poetry with mysterious/multiple meanings can also be fun, but me, I'm a sucker for a well told story!

Great entry.

Dan

[alycewilson]

Thank you! I do believe in letting the reader inside the poem, as my poetry professor used to say.

[reidharriscooper]

If we were dogs I bet we'd enjoy every second of both the overbrush and the open fields. And I'm sure some humans would too. Me, I don't even care for nature, unless its nature destroying modernism creating a dualistic ruins look giving all three worlds.

You captured an image here very well in words.

[alycewilson]

Thank you! Yes, the dog seemed to enjoy every minute of it. Over the course of the vacation, she also enjoyed being on the highest former railroad bridge, riding on a paddleboat, and walking on the beach at Lake Erie!

[roina_arwen]

I love the phrase "languid grasses" - we grasses, we just be chillin' here. :)

Awesome photo!

[alycewilson]

The grasses we encountered, on the other hand, were downright exuberant!

[erulissedances]

Wise kids - LOL.

- Erulisse (one L)

[alycewilson]

Yes! We told them afterwards that we were proud of them for speaking up and for knowing their limits. I think my ankles are mostly healed now.

[bleodswean]

I don't care for bushwhacking much myself. D carries this exquisite Japanese machete, or short knife, and revels in it. I'm all for the meadows or wooded trails.

[alycewilson]

While the kids would have appreciated a machete wielder walking up front, my sister would have urged against it. She's almost completed training to become a Master Naturalist and revels in seeing what is growing around us.

[bleodswean]

LOL, she hasn't encountered poison oak then!

[alycewilson]

I think she's familiar with what it looks like.

[static_abyss]

That picture is beautiful. What I wouldn't give to be surrounded by all that greenery.

[alycewilson]

It can be very emotionally healing.

[tonithegreat]

The thing about spending a whole lot of time exploring new natural places: Every spot isn’t going to wind up being a spectacular favorite. But I love how you captured the spirit of going for an enjoyable ramble anyway.

[alycewilson]

Absolutely true! And many hikes are more appreciated upon reflection than at the time. For example, we hiked down to the river at the Kinzua Bridge on this same trip, and it was very impressive to see the bridge from below. I got some photos that I haven't gone through yet but which I'm optimistic will look good. Now at the time, the trip back UP the gorge was memorable in that it was very difficult! But we made it, and therefore, I can appreciate the hike in retrospect.

[fausts_dream]

Chihuahua's must always lead, to assume otherwise is a fatal mistake.

Thats actually the best possible intro. Stylistically this is almost a nature walk, I didn't know what I would find but enjoyed the journey.

[alycewilson]

Thank you! I had initially started with the stanza that's now the second stanza, but then I was tickled by the idea of having the dog actually lead. On subsequent days, we had a more interesting hike and found an old stone springhouse. But this was the hike we kept talking about, because of how the plants seemed to be deliberately slowing us down and grabbing at our ankles.

[swirlsofpurple]

Adore the descriptive imagery here, a lovely poem

[alycewilson]

Thanks so much! I could have included even more, if I'd been able to remember all the plants my sister pointed out. She's completing her Master Naturalist training and will soon be giving walks in the woods.

[murielle]

It sounds wonderful! I love being with people who know about what's growing and living around them. Now. That I'm older. As a kid not so much. 😊

[halfshellvenus]

(I found a Stinging Nettle, by accident.)
Unfortunately, I think that is USUALLY the way they are found. :(

I can understand why that was not particularly fun for the kids. They have less of a sense of "This path leads somewhere, probably for a reason" (the way a adult might have), and so there's only the experience of the process. And if the process itself isn't fun for them...

[rayaso]

I loved the image of the little dog leading the way! And the photograph was lovely.