©2023 michael raven
Aching to road-trip, destination anywhere.
Someplace different or familiar old. Not too close, nor too far away. No planes or trains; an automobile I suppose, I don’t have a motorbike. A place of maps and legends…
Riding down lost byways and highways, wind in my hair. Down in some canyon dark, winding road, a river running through and trees leaning in overhead, checking out each new passenger on the wend, double yellow on black, buds aching to be on each branch, each tree. Go towards the shadows the sun struggles to shine. Down to the snowmelt-pregnant rivers rushing down ravines, a’froth with spring and the squirrels unpacking their caches tucked under leaves and buried in frost-tinged soil.
The must of woodrot unblanketed by snow and leaves damp and decayed. If you listen close, you can hear the trees singing of homecoming, of waking from slumber, rocks groaning as they shrug off frost seeping through their long, aching cracks — they are the old ones in these places, ever patient and waiting for the young ones to get a clue and their idle talk so slow we lose track of what wisdom they share.
Just a road-trip. Hours. Days. Lifetime. Destination anywhere.
Maybe misunderstood? A song for the moodset:
The map that you've painted doesn't seem real He just sings whatever he's seen Point to the legend, point to the east Point to the yellow, red, and green
sceadugenga 
I can smell this one vividly: “The must of woodrot. . . ” Gorgeous imagery, Michael.
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Thank you, Stacey.
It might be on my mind as we are finally shrugging off all of the snow, we’ll be snow-free probably by the end of the week at this rate. The smell permeates the air as a result, albeit not as pungent at in the more wooded areas.
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The wanderlust is beautifully palpable here. Wonderfully executed, Michael! Wow!
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Thanks Aaysid. I’ll admit, I’ve always been inclined to go a wandering. If I didn’t have so much on my plate right now (or, perhaps, because of it), I’d go off on a jaunt this afternoon and maybe forget to come back. 😉
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I can understand. I, too, would like to take “a midnight train going anywhere.”😁
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💙
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This look like one of the photos I took on my trip. Yes, I spent one day just driving around in the woods and stopping when I felt called to do so. It was beautiful and I highly recommend you find a way to do it.
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I’ll see if work allows me to get away this weekend. Fairly nervous it’ll be another long one.
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Lots to enjoy here! Well done, Michael. 🛣️
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Thank you very much, Michele. 💙
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