Nature Calls Poem by vickie gregory

NATURE CALLS

Nature calls like a lost lover
Nature calls like a loving mother

Walking in the woods brings joy to my soul
The sights and sounds make me feel whole

Southern Ohio is considered the Appalachia region
I love all the four seasons

The terrain is varied, dissected by mountains, valleys and ravines
There are rocky out cropping and huge boulders left as the glaciers retreated

Many species of trees and shrubs reach maximum size
Legend has it the old owl is wise

In the rich soil of sheltered valleys salamanders and newts hide beneath decaying logs
And occasionally you find your self walking in a bog

Noisy jays and chickadees flitter from tree to tree
Enjoying the fact that they are free

The forest floor is a carpet of delicate wild flowers
Beautiful to see at any given hour

Raccoons, deer and wild turkeys all feast on nature’s bounty of acorns and hickory nuts
Securing wild life from having runts

Chipmunks and squirrels scurrying to hide their find
Looking like they have lost their mind

Brown thrashers and fox sparrows
Kick up dead leaves looking for some grub
Listen close and you can hear deer antlers rub

Getting lost will never be a concern if you
Feel for the moss that grows on the North side of a tree
Goldenrod tips point West
Wild grapevines wind around the tree starting toward the East

Rattlesnakes, copperheads and black bears are the things to fear
A faint whiff of sour corn mesh tells you’re close to moonshine still for this you can trust
And getting as far away from there is a must


For all these things I am grateful
I don’t know what I would do if I could not walk in the woods
Nature feels my soul
And makes me fill whole


Vickie Gregory
November 2008