Out For A Walk Poem by Deanna Samuels

What a glorious day not to stay indoors
The sun shone temptingly to lure outside
Should or should we not venture so to do
Making every endeavor to stick to the Covid-19 Rule
Mind you, there was a bit of a wind swirling around
Fully grown fir tree fronds swaying wildly to and fro
The decision was made - wrap up and go out for a walk
Coats donned and zipped up, heads snuggled tightly within hoods
Strode into the bright sunshine, its warmth fell upon the face
Suddenly, without warning, a heavy gust of wind blew by
Almost bowled us over, almost knocked us off our feet
Hoods flew off our heads with hair in such a disarray
Laughed together while rearranging wardrobe mishap
Onwards regardless, around the local housing block
Passing by neighbors with the stipulated two meters away
Turned into the park and strolled along newly laid walking path
Mature trees lined either side, recent pruning clear to see
Three new wooden benches placed at intervals by pleasant views
Passers-by with dogs on lead, keep social distancing in check
A friendly nod or wave of hand, chuckling, abiding by the rule
The wind intermittently continued to blow wildly
Lifting and swirling around last autumn's now crunchy faded leaves
Coming to a rest in heaps and piles besides tree trunks and hedge
A narrow river nearby flows at continuous speedy current
Recent rainfalls swelling upstream pools and lakes
The water bubbling over rocky beds, gurgling and splashing loudly
Moving against newly tiered boulders placed to protect river edge
A rusty iron bridge of recent install spans over the river waters
Footsteps make flip-flop echos crossing the loose wooden planks
A bicycle whizzes by at high speed, flip-flops two to the dozen
The afternoon walk has taken us to almost full circle
To the very back of the house but - bracken and slope to overcome
Slowly climbed the steep incline, stepping over dried debris
Parted brush, a few more steps - behold, the welcomed back yard
Conclusion; the temptation to go out for a walk - a good decision
Felt energized, empowered and rewarded with lots of good fresh air

Written at Courtice, Durham, Ontario - 10th April 2020