bashō

meandering
onto a hidden path
an unexpected trove…
vibrant blue belongings
of a male satin bowerbird

buttress roots
entangle my feet
camouflage
lacy mushroom clumps
mosses and lichen

raindrops
trickle off eucalypts
specking the track
smudged paw prints
etched along my way

watchful eyes
in the undergrowth
the prickles
of known and unknown
dangers…wandering alone

sundown
chant of night insects
intensifying...
the glow of a campfire
a welcome distraction

a powerful owl’s
haunting call echoes
through the gloom…
you pass me my navy scarf
a gift from last year’s trip

Samantha Sirimanne Hyde & Marilyn Humbert