A Ride upon a Cloud
Anne Wang, 13
Nebraska
The little cloud beamed down on me,
smiling fluff to fluff
downy as some cotton candy, not a bit too rough.
It reached down right beside me,
a ladder it became.
Just for me to climb upon,
each fluffy little frame.
And when I reached the top and sat down for a rest
It zoomed away to somewhere far-itself and me the guest.
I peeked over the edge and looked far down below
and, oh, what an amazing view! Such an enchanting show.
Have you ever realized that diamonds fill each river
or the fields of wheat flow like silk when in the wind they shiver?
Have you taken time to see the double rainbow on a rare day,
stopped to hear common robins sing in their light and beautiful way?
How many of us have dared to venture far beyond our house
for reason of adventure and feeling magic arouse?
Who can say they've heard the ocean voices call
or felt the fury of a storm when the rain does fall?
Have you raced up sides of mountains, run through prairie grass,
Mother Nature tempting you forward,
let the wind through your hair pass?
Have you thought of how amazing it is we live each day?
But clocks are ticking, still much to do, time is wasting away.
There's much beauty in this world of ours that just goes unexplored.
Whether it's every day or every ten years, they come with each step forward.
If only we would open our eyes to the majestic world around,
and take each chance that we have to climb upon a cloud.
Why I'm Outdoorsy
Sarah Wilkins, 17
New Hampshire
Part of the reason why I love the outdoors so much is because I am part Native American on both sides of my family. I love getting back to the ways of my ancestors, whether it be through hiking, canoeing, kayaking, or just being in the woods. In my backyard, there is a dry "island" in the middle of a muddy clearing where I can sit and listen to the world around me. I don't have to worry about anything.
I have developed a connection to the wild animals. They trust me and I trust them. I can close my eyes and listen to the birds singing and talking to one another, or the squirrels scurrying among the branches. My sister's cat follows me around when I'm in the woods. If I don't find him right away, I whistle the "Lassie" theme song, and he comes running.
I have saved the most important part for last. Being alone outdoors allows me to have some quiet time with God. Without the distractions of my bedroom or what's going on in the house, I can shut my mouth and listen to what God has to say. When I'm spending quiet time out on my island, I'll occasionally open my mouth to sing God's praises. Other than that, I hand the mic over and let God do the talking. I can leave the woods with an awesome, peaceful feeling that cannot be described in words.
I've grown up around woods, mountains, and rivers. The day I move away from them and into a big city is the day it snows on the moon. I love the outdoors and I never want to leave.
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Climbing After Dark
Mariel Boyarsky
New York
I'd been climbing Hook Mountain since I was four. We had always eaten lunch at the top and started down in early afternoon. But this time it was way past dinnertime as we pulled off 9W onto the shoulder at the base of Hook Mountain with flashlights instead of bug spray.
"You can use them if you need to," my mother said about the flashlights, "but try not to."
We didn't. After a while, our eyes adjusted to the darkness that coated everything in a soft haze and smoothed the sharp lines of nature. Without the obtrusive* presence of the sun, leaves seemed to melt into the ground, which was a dark, vague puzzle of the night shade of autumn colors. The moon seemed to follow our little cluster of heads like stage lights following an actor performing a soliloquy*. No matter where our feet stood, a small circle of moonlight rained down around us and nowhere else. My black dog surged ahead into the darkness to the outer rim of the puddle of moon where she faded into the air.
At the top, the trees that had kept us company the whole way up suddenly stooped into gnarled bushes, or flattened out to wide expanses of rock. We looked out over the edge. New York City lights, sequins in the distance.
*Obtrusive: interfering, bothersome
*Soliloquy: talking while or as if alone, a device often used in theater
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Do have an outdoor adventure you would like to achieve some day? What would it be?
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