Mushroom Envy

“In woods of dead elm,
guide book in hand, all I get
is mushroom envy”
      –from “Full Moon, May 4, 2015,” by Lee Enslow (2017)

so many wrong times in the woods
when they tease me
(the fall honey mushrooms especially)
not quite taunting
like that six-point buck on the day
after the close of hunting season
but with just a hint of smiles
knowing that I won’t be the one
cutting them off and taking them away

I turn my eyes skyward
envious of all the creatures
that will walk in my tracks