early morning traipse
in woods nearby
the inviting path
 barely lit

moss overgrown stones
hug their coats
until winter's chill
defrocks

water babbling through
still runs cold
offering refreshing sips
and dips

branch tangled canopy
awakens with cardinals
their territory claimed
i tiptoe

this verdant trail
lives in layers
a fertile chorus
harmonizes here

“The richness I achieve comes from nature, the source of my inspiration.” – Claude Monet