On a beautiful afternoon, crisp and sunny
I set out on a trek to the nearby woods
Except my camera, intentionally picked up
I did not carry with me any other goods
All along, I saw wild flowers and strange herbs
And paused to take pictures, but kept moving
No doubt, it was a rewarding experience
The lure of the unknown seemed bewitching
From the cluster of flowers on a sprawling tree
The wind wafted a rare exotic smell divine
I heard the twitter of chirping sparrows
And could spot large squirrels with striped design
Proceeding further, heard a gurgling sound
It must be a small cataract, I did suppose
My guess was right. It fell off a rock and ran into a stream
With murmur enough to lull one to sweet repose
The whistle of a quail fell in my ears
And the rhythm of the tapping of a wood pecker
Also the creaking of dry leaves under my feet
All familiar sounds to any forest trekker
Feeling happy over my progress without hitch
Listening to the soft cajoling of birds
And the confused drone of honey bees
I walked playfully stamping on the weeds
By the time, I reached half my way
The forest fell into darkness much earlier to sunset
It shattered my peace and blotted out my sight
That I started running wild feeling violently upset
I knew I had strayed off the accustomed path
Saw the dark sky above, heard a foreboding owl's hoot
My path was severely obstructed by a tangle of creepers
I felt so puzzled that I heard the loud thump of my heart
Under a thicket, covered with brambles
I saw a sudden movement as that of a beast
And was afraid to look over my shoulders
Lest I might behold some blood sucking bat
My teeth chattered and my knees smote
I swooned unable to think or act, hear or see
For how long I lay there in a trance, not sure
When I woke, I saw myself lying at the foot of a tree
On me I felt the stinging pain of bug bites
And found deep scratches all over my body
But to my relief, I saw the sun beams filtering down
And an orange tint streaming across the foggy sky
I found my camera missing with all those pictures,
Hearing a sound above, I chanced to look up on the boughs
And spotted among the cover of leaves, a wild monkey
Fiddling with something queer in his hands
Alas! It was my camera which I knew I could never recover
By looking so intently I wonder if he was trying to take a selfie
Without lingering there for another second
From that place of wilderness, I sought to flee!
Wow..Wonderful experience. I didnt take my eyes from screen till I finished reading your poem till end. Curiosity stuck me till end. The fantastic lines can never be forgotten... Alas! It was my camera which I knew I could never recover By looking so intently I wonder if he was trying to take a selfie Loved it. Beautiful presentation.
when I was in Kashmir inside a forest of Srinagar, cool climate and apple trees and other herbs made me a heavenly feel
Adventure in the forest wonderfully described. Venture into the unknown and thump in the heart when it is dark are clearly felt by one who reads. Enjoyed the poem from my heart.
joined your journey in this poem, experience each line.....beautiful....enjoyed
Really adventurous Valsa...you have actually brought alive in words all that happened...very picturesque...a big 10
A very good and delightful poem. A free and happy trek into the forest turned out to be frightful. In the end though all was well even the funny monkey maybe taking a selfie. So funny and sweet! Congrats on your 400th poem. Well done Valsa.
picture perfect nature and then a sudden encounter with prankster..............sorry for the camera but u dont need one if you know to paint with words as u have done thru this poem..........well a touch of humour about the selfie really capped it all fantastically...
If I were blind, I'd solicit your words to let me see the world! They are as beautiful as the nature you brilliantly describe! I wish I could close my eyes and read your works! ! ! thank you Sister
There is a largeness of experience in this poem which makes it symbolie the whole of life. It could be an allegory of the arc of life, from a quiet beginning through the discoveries over time to the exhaustion of the end. Throughout I sensed an impatience to encompass as much experience as possible, but that proves to be so exhausting you slip. into sleep. I thought this was going to be a romantic walk in nature; but what you wrote is far more ambiguous and unpredictable that that formula. Your poem takes surprising paths and never settles down to mere comfort. It's much too alive with varied possibilities to settle for comfort.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Beautifully written. So, vivid. I felt I could reach out and pick one of the flowers by the tree.