Little feet
Dashing through the yard
Onto the narrow path
Entering another world.
The trees sway mightily in the wind,
Sometimes the sun peeks through the leaves,
Smiling at us.
We stand on a carpet of green
And the birds sing wonderful songs just for us.
We jump on the crooked wooden logs,
Damp from the misty morning air.
The squirrels scamper up and say hello,
While we dream away.

The giant tree waves to us,
The center of our little world.
It’s shady and dark,
The leaves create a green canopy,
Protecting us from the troubles of growing up.

The big fallen tree, our favorite spot,
Beckons to us.
It’s felt the danger life has to offer,
It’s hunched over and broken,
But it can still bring us joy.
It arcs down into the dirt,
The perfect size for our little bodies
As we scramble up the trunk.
Our mud caked shoes grip onto
The crevices and cracks,
And little hands grab dips and bumps for climbing.

We crawl to the highest point and rest.
Our legs dangle over the edge, legs scraping the rough bark.
We are so high up, above the trees,
Above the towns,
Above the people and the lives and the dreams,
We touch the stars.
This is where we want to stay,
soaking up the soft rhythm of the planets around us.
Hearts dance with the moon,
And we sigh.
Our own little world protects us,
Inside the woods.