Sierra Listens Along the Path

Last week on a bright winter day, we waited patiently for a new life to arrive. Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Derek, and two and half-year-old Sierra walked in stride, noticing, wondering, and being filled with hope. A little sister was soon to come into the world.

"What sounds do you hear, Sierra? What animals will we see, today?" As we walked, we listened to the sounds of nature. 

I stepped on a wilted leaf that still had a puffy look to it even weeks after autumn passed on. "Crunch. Crunch." 

Sierra watched, listened, and copied.

"Crunch, crunch", she repeated the process until we saw another wonder of winter.

"Crack. Crack." We stepped on frozen snow.

Sticks lay on the ground. I chose a long one to break into two.

"Snap. Snap."

We continued to walk along the trail, looking and listening.

We watched the waves ripple in the brook; saw a dog enjoying his walk; listened to a bird chirping. But when we heard an interesting, new sound, we were amazed.

"Peck. Peck."

We looked all around but only heard the sound, not the singer.

It was then that Sierra called a halt to our walk. 

"Listen! Listen."

She looked up to the very tops of sky-climbing trees but the woodpecker was hiding.

Children who listen and learn, grow on the path to lifelong learning. On this winter day, Sierra stopped, looked, listened, and told her story of a walk filled with wonder. Grandma listened and wrote what transpired.

The leaves, the snow,
And the sticks,
The dog, the bird, 
And the brook!
I can hear winter's sounds
As I walk the path
As soon as I pause,
listen and look.
©CV, 2020, Virginia

The above poem is based on James Sterling Tippett's first of three stanzas' poem, Familiar Friends, from Crickety Cricket: The Best-Loved Poems of James S. Tippet by Mary Chalmers. (Thank you poet Janice Scully for introducing me to this poem at Poetry Friday last week.)

The horses, the pigs,
And the chickens,
The turkeys, the ducks
And the sheep!
I can see all my friends
From my window
As soon as I waken
from sleep.
©James Sterling Tippett

It's Slice of Life Tuesday and writers from around the world join at Two Writing Teachers' site to offer their slices.