Woodland Shelter

We hurried ourselves along to
enjoy our woodland hike, to
avoid predicted warnings of heavy
thunderstorms. The sky already
thick with thunderheads and a
stiff wind shuffling them along
we took our chances and set out.

Blue-flowering chicory and
tiny-petalled Queen Anne's lace,
bugleweed and buttercups,
fleabane and daisies featured
their bouquet presence as we
descended the woodland ravine.

The clanging thrum of a pileated
woodpecker, its primal focus on a giant
hollow pine echoed through the wood.
But another, unidentifiable sound as of
two birds discussing the weather puzzled
as we located an owl and its offspring among
the limbs and leaves of opposite trees.

They were mute, as their presence
was noted, one peering down at us,
confident we posed no threat, then
resumed their intimate musing. The
rain descended, thunder booming, and
the canopy of oak and birch, maple as
poplar, bass and ash offered brief shelter.