Prepare
In between the hustle, bustle, and noise of a small city rests a secluded hill side forest.
The elms, locusts, and maples act as a fortress of peace.
If you look close, you can see it begin to prepare for the oncoming winter.
Overhanging on the front edge of the forest are the black locust,
You can see the yellow-gold edges peeking through if you focus.
Even the massive elm trees are no match for the cold,
As frost threatens, the leaves begin to fold.
The skinny striped maples look up to the mature trees,
As they understand how to get through the Vermont winter and not freeze.
Moving through the forest are squirrels, crows, and other creatures hunting for food for which to store,
An acorn here, a berry there, stored either in a cache or in the animal’s tissue, they search more and more.
As the whole forest prepares, I look on and and feel lucky to witness these amazing natural changes.