Trek Down Calumet Trail Poem by Joseph S Pete

On the gravel trail through the thickets of tallgrass prairie,
you stalk past the bare, prickly stalks of mullein, the seas of wildflowers,
the leafy treeline looming off in the background.

Butterflies flit about, bees buzz by stamens, grasshoppers glide.
Hawks soar overhead, wild turkeys trot into the cover of grass,
while red-shouldered blackbirds hop from reed to reed.

You gasp while a great blue heron perched by a creek
takes flight, extends its ample wingspan,
flapping off mightily into the great yonder.

You wander until nature subsumes you.
You wander until all is lost, your mind is vacated.
You wander until it's just the chirping and trilling of distant birds.