The Meadow

“We’re going on the trails today?” I shout, a gleeful child of three small years. A short, somewhat chubby child, having hair not unlike an oak tree. Strong like the trunk, thick like the branches, dark like the bark, and blowing like the leaves. Then, placid lake blue eyes with a small ring of yellow sunshine in the center. Clashing, a plain, deep yellow t-shirt and simple jean overalls. Most predictable were the shoes. Simple white shoes striped blue. Although they weren’t really white anymore, or blue for that matter. Just brown.
As I giggled, my rosy cheeks shined. I knew the answer.
“Yes we are, but to a special one you haven’t seen yet,” he said.
He was short, but not to one who had never seen a sunrise, or who had never felt the roar of thunder without fear. He had short midnight hair you would think was black, not brown. And extremely curly. It looked like a small, black, well kept bush. His face always red, almost a burning flame, but he was never angry. Blue eyes, like mine, but different. Eyes that had seen a lifetime more than mine.
We waved to grandma, and then headed on our way. We were headed to the camp’s lake, then to a trail which then took us to many other trails. After we left grandma’s we went across the camp till we got to the lake. Then we turned left and continued till we met the hollow tree at the entrance to the forest. I looked inside. Stones, feathers, and acorn tops filled the bottom of the hole. Happy to find my treasures still inside, I rejoined my dad as we moved along the path.
The forest overtook us immediately. Still being little I was somewhat scared but I continued anyway. I had gone pretty far in before, and reminding myself about that made me feel braver.
The trails were interesting because not only did I get to see nature up close, there were obstacles to try and get past. The first was a large fallen birch tree protruding across the path. Being quite short at the time, it was very hard to climb over. That being done we went on to the next challenge. The next was a sort of ravine that was once a runoff to the lake. At the bottom were logs to be crossed in order to reach the other side. Both sides were steep and the logs were old and it was hard to keep good footing. None the less we crossed and ventured farther into the woods.
The last task was the scariest and perhaps the most unsafe of the three. As this one, solitary trail cut through the woods, the small hill to the right towards the water got higher and higher till it became about 12 feet high. To make matters worse, the trail follows right along the edge for a good length. Grabbing trees I manage to stay on the footpath.
As it evens out dad takes over. The pathway splits up and I won’t know which way to go. We take a familiar route then take another path I had never seen before. It was a drawn out path and when it ended I gasped.
The trail ended abruptly, and the forest opened up to a meadow of tall grass. Being accustomed to the dark of the woods, I had to squint to see. The meadow, surrounded by trees, seemed unreal’ almost unworldly. And then I saw a butterfly. It was a monarch butterfly no less. Such simple beauty; it looked like a flying flower. I looked at my dad, and pointed to the butterfly.
“Go ahead,” was his reply.
In that second I ran through the grass towards the butterfly. And that’s when something wonderful happened. Feeling me coming, hundreds of unseen monarch butterflies hiding in the tall grass took to the air. Feeling their comrades taking flight, many more butterflies appeared all across the meadow. Looking to the sky I saw hundreds upon hundreds of them flying. The sun’s light filtering though their transparent wings casting a glow across the meadow.
Gasping, I breathed in awe. Never, in the short time I had lived, had I seen such divine elegance. I stood and watched for what seemed only a moment, and yet like hours. One by one, they landed in the grass, hidden from my eyes. After they had all landed, I halted for a moment, slowly coming back to reality. Then I dreamily walked across the meadow.
As we began the trip back home, I stopped and glanced back at the meadow one last time, before disappearing back into the bush.