A brisk fall afternoon

My dad promised to take me hiking

To cure my cabin fever

To venture out into the wide open world

To experience serenity

 

Rain pattered on the metal roof

Each drop hit hard like a pebble 

Thrill came and washed over me

Like a waterfall

A new beginning

 

We eagerly stepped out of our tin box home

My shoes sloshed and slid

In the pungent earth below me

My dad gripped my arm

So as not to let me fall 
 

With every vigorous step,

Becoming closer to Mother Nature

She reminded me of her presence

With each droplet that tapped my shoulder

 

The crisp sound of oak leaves

Each a different shade of ochre

Crunching beneath our feet

The wind harmonized with her soft voice

Welcoming us into her embrace

 

I looked to my peripheral

Upon the mossy blue lake 

Which became just a hint more apparent

As every second passed

 

We had met our destination

It shook my hand with its dewdrops

And invited me into an opaque cloud of fog

My dad's hand clasped my shoulder

My being was filled with accomplishment