the ivy that spoke french

she tiptoed ever-so-quietly through the dense woods, the forest's voice seemed to call to her, but she waited and did not speak until she saw the first shaft of light coming through the trees.

she came upon some children, her smile at seeing them rekindled memories of a childhood, not far gone, but waiting behind a hydrangea bush,

she smiled back at them, their expressions were ones of surprise but silence. "why are you here?" she asked. they just giggled and ran away. she tried to follow them, but they were too quick.

then she passed an old man, bent over, nearly to the ground with twigs and branches on his back. "he must be carrying them for firewood", i thought, "but perhaps instead he will make a fence with them; it would be very sad to burn such lovely branches".

the afternoon was so changeable. once a dark and silent room, the forest was, then turned into a lovely, breathtaking garden, filled with amazing color and vibrancy! "how can these changes be taking place in such a short time?" she wondered. lilacs and dark vegetable leaves, but then a dense thicket. then again, color followed by darkness. a symbol of life, she thought.

she was drawn to the color with great anticipation and love. it embraced her, each color like a friend from the past. the black and white shadows and scenes puzzled her in a likeable way, but she always wanted to run away from them, like the children. perhaps it is our souls that are drawn to the colors, like the images of heaven that we have deep in our hearts.

she walked and walked, finding dreams and lands filled with oddities and enchantments, but her heart searched for the children, too, who had scampered away like birds, earlier that day. "where had they gone to?" she wondered to herself.

suddenly a bird landed on a delicate twig on a bush before her. he tilted his head this way and that and then flew away, but looking back at her with the most tiny, sweet grin, she knew she was to follow him.

after running and darting through the thin trees of the woods, finally she came upon the little group of children. they were sitting upon a clearing of moss, eating a meal of bread and and tea and peaches.

she sat down with them and gave them each a ribbon. "these are for your hair, so you may look pretty and handsome". one child began to giggle again, then they all laughed hilariously, as if a huge door had opened in the forest into a bright meadow of funny flowers.

"let's go", they called to me.

i followed them and we ran to the most beautiful meadow i had ever seen. filled with bright birds and enormous flowers, it was the land i had dreampt of, all my life. and to think children would lead me there; it was a true life, a true afternoon. it was a happy day,

at last.