Trails
by Zak Krug

This looks like nature.
Standing on the edge on the edge of a bridge above a man made pond
surrounded by asphalt trails
trees cracking under pressure.
I walk amongst the preplanned trails.
A pseudo-wilderness.
Parked my car in a designated spot.
The deep blue sly outlined by artificial sounds and light.

Listening to the sounds of the Earth thru headphones, runners cross by…
To my left is an old Hackberry Celtis occidentalis.
I’ve learned about nature in textbooks.
This particular Hackberry is covered in a vine.
It’s struggling to survive against an exotic species.
Further on down my path is humankind
“beautifying” nature with preplanned gardens gazebos
marble benches donated by nature loving proprietors
next to sawed off stumps
these benches give me a decent place to rest.