Hidden below the highest branch, I gaze at the forest floor from five feet up. Whispering to one another, the leaves dance as the wind passes through. Moss climbs the damp bark alluding to me the direction of the sunrise. Silence consumes the air and relaxation takes my corpse. My eyes land on a group of microscopic ants as they march to gather food. Like a videogame, the trail the ants lead inevitably captures my awareness.

A tingle sparks my attention to my leg. I see a spider racing up in a hurry. I notice the silk still attached to him, I follow the line up to the foot-long web created between two branches. Water droplets encase its silk, I’m surrounded by delicate beauty.

A robin’s call summons the rest, draws me from the spider, and soon the trees toppling over me ring with song. I inspect the blurry holes of bright light carried through the trees. The robin’s song is gradually abandoned by the artists until silence profuses once more. I purse my lips together, pining for the sound once more, whistling and waiting for the robins reawakening. 

Crackling timber alerts my instincts. My eyes dart from tree to tree until I discover the source, two grey squirrels. A female being chased by its admirer. The thought of baby squirrels races through my mind and a smile penetrates my face. 

2As I’m gazing at the horizon where the forest meets a field, a figure from below grasps my attention. A deer grazes with caution crunching the crisp leaves. She abruptly pauses and swiftly turns her head towards me. Her twilight eyes, eloquent with freedom, stare at mine with intense curiosity. Hidden below the highest branch, I admire the forest floor from five feet up.