The sunny bank

Seeking Sunshine

Snow Trillium, Trillium nivale

I sat for a day in the woods, on a warm bank where some shrubs had filled the space beneath the bare trees and had already begun to leaf-out, while all else around stayed buried in the layer of dense brown leaves. Working with a small hand saw, I cleared the entire bank of them, creeping from one bush to the next, attacking each branch near its base, until I stopped for the day, utterly exhausted, yet pleased with the freshly cleared space.
Between the tall trees, there is a place now for their dropped seeds to set young roots, regrow these woods for years to come, help them to become healthy and strong.

Later that evening, I put my hand to my face to find the top of my nose sore, and upon looking in the mirror, red with an early sunburn, and one gained in the least of likely places—the woods.

Before the tall trees shade this brown bank, before the dimness of the woods becomes the home to thrush song, before the ferns and herbs emerge to drink in the shade of the summer forest, it is a place for wildflowers.

Snow Trillium, Trillium nivale

garter snake on sunny bank

First Hepatica