Thoughts That Travel Poem by Ronald Strickland

As I sit beneath the tall oak tree,
I watch as the breeze ruffles the leaves.
I listen to the birds as they call to each other.
In the distance, the barking of a squirrel,
There must be a predator around.
The breeze seems to have taken my thoughts to
times long ago and far away.
A time when I was a child,
I see my mother smile.
My siblings playing, arguing, crossing my arms on my chest
as I pout.
A time when family and friends watched me grow.
My thoughts return to the battlefield that now is a wall
and traps me in my dreams.
I'm here until my dreams have wings and my thoughts
no longer knows fear.
As the battle begins,
I hear my name.
Again, louder,
I hear my name.
Again, much louder,
I hear my name.
This battle is over until my thoughts and dreams
wander again.