Walks Among Brown Shaggy Parasol
(Chlorophyllum brunneum vellinga)

Twisting down a long well-trodden path
small footsteps hit the ground

while parents follow carrying necessities:
snacks, water, camera.

A dog. Her gravestone now lies buried in salal,
The woods take their toll.

Trees spring from seed, to sapling, to strong fir
marking the boundaries of the forest as

mud cakes to the bottom of boots,
shoes grow larger.

A small pond where children once fished
carrying inch-long specimens in buckets.

The stairs built by a boy
mark the turning of an age.

Mushrooms readily greet the hiker at every turn
eager to show their new caps.

Appeasing a brother leads to airsoft,
the trees and bushes become cover.

A bat house seems unused
But the hole has grown in size over the years.

A walk in the woods is never ordinary,
one never encounters the same memory.