THE DUSTY ROAD part 4

THE DUSTY ROAD…………………………….
(the misty forest)
It was time to go now,, to once again travel upon the dusty road,,
for I perhaps had spent too much time along that forgotten mountain
brook,, I had laid about and did very little and many’s a day it was
that I would just laze naked upon the grassy banks,, restoring my
worth and pondering upon what had occurred during my trek thru
the big empty and how I had been helped by another…
I just rested and gathered what I could from this valley,,
I caught fish and smoked them for the miles ahead,, and also did
I gather roots and berries, and wild onions, and wild turnips
I think they were…
But now it was time to once again journey apon this dusty road…
And I wondered unto myself,, have I gone far enough??,, should I
turn back and head home??… This forgotten dusty road,, it did lay
before me,, traveling along this valley until over the horizon it went,,
and the way home was far behind me,, for I had traveled many
a month,, to return home to a cautious life,, or to continue on to
see what was just beyond,, apon this dusty road…

To journey just a little farther,, I had decided,, perhaps just until
the next town,, surely I was stronger and wiser now that I had
crossed the forlorn desert,, and I had survived that trek…
So it was that I gathered up my things,, and once again set my feet
upon that dusty road,, to see what was just ahead…
I was firm and fit once again and I had provisions a plenty,,
but I felt as if I was not as young a man as I once was,, before I did
journey apon that desert’s dusty road,, perhaps wiser was I now…

This dusty road that I was upon now,, was not so different than those
I had traveled upon before,, it did meander along the valley floor and
the sides of this dusty road were not so different than before,,
there were the unmended fences and the tumbled down barns and
the old farmers houses with their overgrown yards,, the clumps of
trees all overrun now… But it felt so strange to me,, this was a very
forgotten place,, along this dusty road…

And apon the next day,, about mid-afternoon I suppose it was,,
the dusty road did lead me to a very dense forest,, then it just
ended there... A forgotten forest,, and it did seem to me to be very
old,, and that no one had been thru this forest in a very long
long time…
There was no way around it that I could see,, so straight ahead
did I go,, thru the brambles and the weedy brushes,, and into the
darkened forest… And once inside this forest a small path did I find,,
perhaps it was just a deer trail that I was following,, but it did take
me thru the trees and it seemed to be heading east…And on this
small path there were many small limbs that had fallen,, and from
them I did pick up a very fine branch that I could fashion into a
walking stick,, it seemed to be very sturdy and from an old oak
tree perhaps… It did help me thru the fallen limbs and the thickets…

The trees in this forest seemed to be very old,, for they were giants
and twisted with age and I was always shaded by their massive
limbs and the canopy that they made,, and cool it was inside
this forest…

Now it began to darken within this forest,, and I was sure that the
end had finally come unto this day…So I looked about for a camping
spot for that nite,, to set myself a fire and rest until the daylight…
And I did find one there that nite among the giant oak trees,,
a massive oak tree did I find along that path,, it was much bigger
than all the rest,, perhaps twice their size,, and its branches did
extend out for many many yards,, so massive were they that they
seemed to hold up the very sky itself,, it may have been the great
grandfather of all the others… And it was there that I did unroll my
cot and I started to prepare for the evenings rest,, so I gathered
some stones and small twigs and branches to start my fire,, so that
I could make my stew upon this nite… And it was during my search
for this kindling that I came across a patch of wild mushrooms,,
that I thought perhaps I’d add to my fish stew… Now I had been
told by many a fine folk to be wary of these wild mushrooms,,
for some of them were poisonous and not to be eaten at all,,
they told me not to pick the ones with the stripped pink tops or
the ones with the brown spots,, and this I did carefully do,,
for I only took the plain colored ones,, thinking that surely they
would be safe,, they looked just like the store bought ones,,
I had eaten many times before…

So it was that I started my nitely routine under that massive
oak tree,, and into my stew,, I threw some of the fish that I had dried
and some of the onions and wild turnips too,, and also did I throw
some of those mushrooms that I had found… A fine stew was I to
have upon this nite,, it didn’t take very long for my stew to begin
to boil and also upon this fire did I set my kettle with some of
Whistling Pete’s very fine tea…Yes, a very fine stew I had that nite,,
one of my better meals I must admit,, and then I just sat back and
pondered upon my journeys and what might lie ahead,, and I also
did some carving of that oak branch that I found,, so I could make
it into a better walking stick…
Just gazing into the fire as it flickered and danced among its embers,,
and then I noticed that the forest was being to turn a hazy blue,,
and it did seem that a rolling misty fog did come upon the forest
floor and among the tree tops,, obscuring all but the nearest trees…
I must be very tired from my journeys…

Then I did see them,, they came upon me,, a creature with
porcupine skin, and a blue face painted with white stripes,,
and atop its head were two yellow birds just sitting there,,
it walked upright upon deer legs and had a gray horses tail,,
and following behind it was a smaller one and some smaller ones
still,, perhaps its’ mate and kids…
Then they set up their camp just a few yards from me,, and then
as I looked even deeper into the mist I could make out more of
these porcupine fellows and their families,, all camped about,,
just peacefully tending to their campfires,, or working on some
animal skins,, and some were just honing their tools as they sat
by their fires…
They did not seem to see me,, but I could plainly see them…
Then thundering hooves did I hear and I saw giant reddish boars
with green feathered goats upon their backs,, and they did scatter
and destroy the camp of these porcupine men,, and then it was
quiet again…So I just sat there under that mighty oak tree,,
staring into my tiny fire and feeling strangely light and dreamy
as if I might just float away…

As I sat there,, a great owl did appear before me,, with its yellow
eyes staring intently at me,, then it did ask me “Who, who, who
are you that wanders upon this path”… I could not answer for my
voice had left me,, I could not move and I just stared blankly at
this great owl before me,, again it asked me “Who, who, who are
you that wanders upon this path”,, but I could do nothing,,
then it did fly away,, leaving behind a spotted brown egg…
Now I did find myself lying upon the ground,, just staring at this
brown spotted egg,, and as I stared at it,, it broke into many pieces
and each piece was the same as all the rest,, like large white pearls
they were,, then they did join together and form a worm like
creature,, and it raised up to see me better,, and suddenly they
just melted into the ground before me,, one by one did they go…
I just lay upon that spot for what seemed like hours,,
just frozen to that ground…

After a time,, I began to hear it coming closer and closer to me,,
thud upon thud did I hear,, like many hooves on the ground,,
and out of the misty haze did it come,, a giant black beetle,, perhaps
three feet tall,, and it came right up to me,, and asked me
“Do you want a ride??”… So it was that I found myself upon this
giant beetles back,, trekking thru the forest that nite,, and then it
asked me “Do you want to fly??”… Up into the sky we went,,
me upon that beetles back,, thru the air,, and above the trees,,
and into the stars it did seem,, a joyful, peaceful ride it was,,
among the stars that nite…
But then I lost my grip,, and I fell from atop that beetles back,,
and Itumbled towards the earth below,, twirling, whirling, spinning
and forever falling thru the darkened nite…

I awoke the next morning,, all huddled against that giant oak tree,,
my fire had gone out and the embers were done,, the birds were
making their early morning songs and the sun was just beginning
to filter thru the trees,, and I had a mighty hangover and
stomachache that morning… So I gathered up my things,,
and again proceeded upon that forest path,, and within a half days
journey I did find myself emerging from that great forest and
now I looked to the horizon itself,, and all I could see was
golden wheat fields before me… But I stopped for a moment to
empty my pack of those mushrooms I had found upon that forest
ground,, no more of these would I brew in my stew...
Once was enough for me……………….