Reinvigorated Walking up the hill Through a green tunnel of nature, Green leaves, coloured petals and bird song; An occasional butterfly Some cabbage whites, meadow browns Tortoiseshell and red admiral. Delighting at the sight of a pair of orange-tips and a rare fritillary. Feeling the sun on face and breeze ruffling hair, Taking me back to the days of my youth. No crickets or grasshoppers now to accompany my steps, No rustle of lizards or grass snakes lurking under tin, No voles or slowworms to hunt. We live among the vestiges, The paltry rump of what once was, Feeding on the crumbs. Yet, it is sustaining; it warms the heart And holds the promise Of what could be. Opher – 17.7.2023 I always come back from my walks through nature feelings saddened and reinvigorated. Nature is sustaining and I return revitalised by the pleasure of its touch. The sorrow lies in the memory of how plentiful it used to be and what a great deal has been lost. We are so careless with the things we should hold so dear.