Discovery

By Eleanor Welch

I came upon a spider’s web

This morning in the weeds.

The night had left a present of

Some polished crystal beads.

There seemed to be enough to make

A necklace with, and so

I started home to get some string

As fast as I could go.

But halfway there, I stopped and thought,

The spider worked quite hard.

How would I feel if someone took

Those beads from my front yard?

I went back to the web and looked,

And there the spider sat,

Enjoying all the finery,

So that took care of that.

I came upon a toadstool,

Well hidden by a tree.

It looked just like a parasol,

But much too small for me.

Besides, the toad would miss it,

Might think my manners bad,

To take the only furniture

He’d ever really had.

I came upon a bird’s nest

When I climbed my favorite branch.

Nobody seemed to be at home,

Though there could be a chance

That it was some bird’s brand-new place.

A family might move in!

And baby birds need lots of warmth

When they are young and thin.

I came upon a lot of things

But left them where they lay.

They’ll be there for me next time

I go out another day.

Illustrated by Shauna Mooney