W is for Wild

No, not girls-gone-wild kind of wild--

violets and ospreys and blue herons kind of wild,  

reeds and new-spring-green-just-beneath-the-water wild,

rivers and swamps and spooky trees

set against a haze of green,

tiny new growth up close,

blossoms that take your very breath,

and a patient turtle who lets a muskrat use him 

as a picnic bench.

Climb the steps to the secret path

where the fairies live (yes, they really do),

or sit by the marsh,

breathe deep, and just wait 

for the next great blue heron to take wing--

that's my kind of wild.

Happy Earth Day!