Sunday, June 28, 2009

A Forest Vacation

Dedicated to Maia.
Take the first step down the path. Keep walking, one step at a time, one foot in fron of the other. As you travel, you begin to hear things; your footsteps start to echo, you can hear smakll squeaks in the distance, the sound of water dripping into pools, making echoes of their own and a constant, distant roaring; following, the smell of old earth, wrapping you in it's embrace as the scent of foliage and moisture greets you; and then, the feeling of the gentle breeze brushing across your skin, through your hair, as your feet begin to land on hard stone...
And finally, sight.
You find yourself in a cave, walking carefully, avoiding the stones. You have no idea where you are yet; but you know the squeeking is the sound of bats, off in another branch of the network of tunnels. Water coats the sides of the tunnel and a small stream runs down the center, trickling. Bright light shines through the mouth; and, as you get closer and closer, the roaring gets louder until you find yourself behind a waterfall, a trail to each side leading from behind it on the cliff, wide enough to walk on safely.
Emerging, you look down acrossed the tops of trees against a cliffside, a vast lacke in the center fed by the waterfall. Birds flock, making their music; the leaves rustle in the wind. The smell of fresh green foliage and good, raw earth tantalize your senses. You close your eyes for a moment, enjoying the breeze, the gentle caress of the sun on your skin. The air is so fresh here.
Strolling down the path, you make your winding way down the cliffside to the forest below. The closer you get, the louder the animal noises become. You can hear them all; the small creatures rustling in the underbrush, the insects singing away, the birsdsongs, the simians swinging through the treetops.
You wander, feeling the rough bark of the immense, miixed trees; smelling the scent of foliage and flower alike; and realize that here, you can be at peace.

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