A find in the forest
Walking our dogs the other day,
allowing a wander to settle the way,
when what to our wondering eyes should appear,
but a papery orb on the forest floor near.

The sun cast its pale and wintry pall
over cinnamon leaves cast to earth during fall.
The smaller pup, Raven, rose to the matter,
to see what this strange ball of stuff had to offer.

On one side, hexagonal openings appeared,
which seemed to have held something special, now cleared.
Whatever it was that had once lived there,
had vanished and left it filled only with air.

A gust may have brought the nest down to the ground,
where we paused to examine this treasure we’d found.
I stooped for some pics of this marvelous thing
built by something well-known for its walloping sting.

The flip side was smoother and featured the art
of leaves interwoven with tissue-like bark
that a creature had crafted with care where it hung,
blown by wind, soaked by rain and bleached by the sun.

It came to rest where we staked our claim
on what once was a nest—now just a remain.
© Sandy Long