The sun rises over a lush green forest
Awakening to life.
The scent of dew is heavy on the cool air, as the first birds awaken
And begin their calls.
Their high notes drift lightly upon the air.
With the rise of the sun the plants start their silent struggle,
Growing towards the light.

A boar meanders through the brush
Stops
And begins to burrow into the ground
Searching for food.
The heavy musk that rises from
Its body wards off other creatures.

The sun sets over the hills
Its last rays reflecting over a lake
The water glistening in the failing light.
The chirping of the insects picks up
Immediately as twilight descends.

As the night deepens a wolf
Emerges from his den,
And slowly climbs up the precipice of a cliff
His silver gray fur has a dull sheen in the moonlight
He lifts his head,
Slowly
And emits a low howl,
Baying to the full moon.

A small hare
In a nearby bush
Takes a mad dash at the sound of the
Nearby wolf call.
At the sudden movement
The wolf turns his head, sharply,
And without hesitation begins the chase.
The rabbit keeps up its mad dash,
Barely ahead of the jaws of the silver
Wolf. The wolf runs,
In a way that he appears to glide
Over the land, his paws barely
Touching the ground before they are up again.
Gaining ground his jaws open,
And in an audible snap
His fangs close around the rabbit
Piercing its dull brown fur.
The rabbit, in its dying throes, emits
A high pitched yell, reminiscent
Of a woman’s scream.
The blood spurts from the open holes,
In its neck.

Seasons change
Time goes by the rabbit decomposes,
Sinking into the Earth.
Becoming one with it.

The sun is high in the sky, on a crisp
Autumn day.
The leaves have all turned from a verdant green to
Golds, reds, and brilliant oranges.
The leaves fall,
Slowly drifting towards the ground,
But before they do the wind picks up
The leaves drifting upon the wind currents.

The animals catching Nature's bounty,
In preparation for the cold months ahead.
The fruit ripens and falls from the trees.
The squirrel grabs the acorns from the forest
Floor and stows them away.
A bear ambles out of the foliage,
Shaggy, fur and fat thick
Upon him,
In preparation for his winter slumber.

The sky above is gray, overcast.
Winter has come.
Snowflakes drifting, lazily, down.
It is a heavy snow the flakes fat,
And wet.
Careening towards the Earth, haphazardly.
The animals of the forest
Wake from the weather
The cold a mild sting
That invigorates
And sharpens the senses.

A snowshoe hare bounces atop
The fallen snow.
Its feet barely leaving imprint,
As the the weight is spread
Evenly 'cross the snow.

The trees, bare,
Bereft of leaves,
Look lifeless.
Only sleeping till warmer months.
Their branches dark tendrils
Stabbing up at the sky.

The mountain lion and her cubs
Nearby
In her cave,
Cower for warmth.
She cannot hunt,
Cannot feed her cubs,
From a broken leg,
Received from a prowling he wolf.
Her tan coat has lost its luster.
The skin has grown loose
As the flesh beneath it has withered.
Her cubs cry softly, starving.
All will slowly starve.
So is winter's deadly embrace.
Only the strong survive.

Winter thaws leading to spring,
And so the cycle begins anew
With a chance at new life.
Snow melts watering the flowers,
As they open their faces to the new sun.
All at once, as if they had planned it,
The animals come out to witness,
Nature's resurrection.
The months of hoarding precious body fat,
For warmth and sustenance
Are over.

Nature's bounty is immense,
And the new season begins,
With a feast.
The trees are green again,
The buds open up releasing
New leaves
To replace the ones they had shed.

The air is crisp and clean.
All take a deep breath of the fresh air of spring,
And feel revitalized,
Ready for the seasons to come.