07/10/2021
FAMILY WALKS
During lockdown and ALL those daily walks, I ended up writing a poem (of sorts) to capture (a slightly rose-tinted obvs) reflection of the joy walking has added over the years to our family life.
I’m definitely not a poet but in the spirit of National Poetry Day I thought I’d share 😊
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Before we were parents, going for a walk would be,
Peaceful, hands entwined, the odd snog under a tree.
Staying strictly to footpaths, and admiring nature’s beauty,
We’d respect conservation - isn’t it a grown up’s duty?
The countryside was a spectacle we’d look at with awe,
We’d admire it with wonder, but that’s all we saw.
Then along came a daughter, and her sister two years later,
And suddenly a humble log became a sleeping alligator.
The mysterious caverns created by gnarly tree roots,
Are now homes to fairies with pom-pom toed boots.
We stray off the footpaths, scurrying into the woods,
Create stories about Mr Squirrel and his bountiful goods.
The birdsong is the chatter of Cinderella’s best chums,
Foraging for the princess – apples, pears and sweet plums.
The bees buzzing loudly are stuck in a maze,
Frustrated and blinded by the thick pollen haze.
And the frogs that are hopping on the lush lily pods,
Are bouncing to the beat of the woodpecker’s nods.
The trees bending together, to make a long leafy arch,
Give an escape tunnel for moles leading a march.
You may see a swan, usually poised and proper,
Losing its rag with a noisy grasshopper.
And the goose who looks so suspiciously around,
Is actually guarding a golden egg it’s just found.
Who knows if a giant sits atop the tallest pine tree,
But we use our imagination and it’s easy to see.
Together we reveal nature’s stories everywhere we go,
It’s one of the benefits of walking so slow.
