if I close my eyes,
I can feel how soft, how
spongy the path lies
beneath my running feet
If I look up, day-dreaming,
I see myriad waffling leaves
flashing in the sunlight
high above me
If I listen back in time,
I hear brother and sister faintly
through the forest calling,
All ye, all ye, in come free!
first published in Illinois State Poetry Society
©2016 Bonnie Manion