Threshold between meadow and forest

 as I stepped from the autumn meadow
into the autumn forest

there was a tangible shift in presence
a bit like stepping across a threshold and into another realm

 my instincts kindled to the edge of my being and beyond

sound, light, life was alive with shadows and light

pausing to listen to the leaves falling from the aspen trees
landing on the leaf strewn forest floor

perhaps their final flight

surely in summer this would be a shady spot
refreshing on hot days

a cloak for elk bear and forest kin
 

on this hot autumn day
sunlight baths us all, no cloak

revealing where antlers have rubbed the trees

where grass lays down 

where animals have walked and beds were made

sitting…. long enough that my breathing slows
nearly to the rhythm of a tree
I feel the forest invite me to wander more deeply within
its inner sanctuary

wandering, breathing, noting details

in an 8 foot circle of space
I count 11 piles of berry filled bear scat
an unusual find (that many piles in one space)

I respectfully depart back into the sun drenched meadow
under the beautiful blue sky

~

*