Nature's Kisses

We walk onward, carefully, cautiously. I follow our young leader, conscious of the path she takes. Brother behind, I feel an intoxicating rush as we pass under the canopy of trees, single file. Maybe it's the smell, the feel of the earth beneath my feet. I begin to sprint through the foliage. But it's not sprinting. It's a hurdling skip, something that entails a wolf's bound, a horse's gallop, and the deer's agile leap. Each passing branch, bush, and twig leaves it's rough kisses on my arms and fae. They are mother nature's blessing, leaving her mark and asking me to return to this paradise. They are a reminder, not a pain, not a scar, as it may seem. A reminder that I must cure my softness by visiting again, that her kisses may cure and clean me.