COW Tree
‘See? There’s the eyes, nose, horns.’
We mooed at it - listened close to hear it moo back.
We were like sisters, you and I. On weekend adventures, doubling in denim dungarees, we were two zookeepers. Our zoo was the local woods, and it was ours to keep.
With jelly sandals suck-slapping or wellies suck-squelching, we skipped past knobbled stumps, all frog-eye bulging. Raced round oaks as resolute as bears. Waved at the swaying aspen, arms flailing in the breeze, orangutan-free. Herded journeys of giraffe - or paper birch, as we later learned they’re more commonly called.
But it was Cow Tree we adored.
Read the full flash, which was nominated for the Pushcart Prize, in Gone Lawn.