This was based on a real life experience I had when I was a young boy of about 11 years old.My father had taken me squirrel hunting and for one of the first times I was to be allowed to hunt on my own....without tagging along behind him.We drove deep into the forest to a wilderness area where dad dropped me off at first light on a old grown up logging trail.Before dropping me off he gave me strict,stern instructions on the dangers of getting lost in the area we were hunting.Grown men had been lost for days in the same area.The woods ran for miles and miles with no houses and very few roads.I was told several times to stay in sight of the logging trail and to not venture out of sight of it for ANY reason....
As the morning wore on I wasn't seeing many squirrels.When I heard one barking just down the hill - I decided to go after it.It was further than I thought and when I got in the area I thought it was -it was gone.I then saw another one just off to the left and went after it....then another just down the hill and I went after it as well.I wasn't worried because the trail was just up the hill a couple of hundred yards......
When I headed back to the trail I was surprised to find no trail at the top of the hill....or the top of the next hill...or the top of the next...or the top of the next....I was hopelessly lost....and panicked!
I walked and sometimes ran for hours.At one point I remember finding a old decaying fence and following it for miles before it just ended...
By dark I was totally exhausted and scared nearly to death.{Remember I was only 11 years old} All I could hear was the night birds and coyotes,,,,and it was DARK and I had been lost for a good 12 hours or more.In exhaustion I sat down against a tree and thought about what dad had told me....It sounds silly but I was sure I would never get out of those woods alive....
Suddenly from way off in the distance I heard a yell....I yelled back and got an answer! It was my dad! I have never been so glad to see a person in my life before or since! I ran to him when he got close and embraced him,,,,,and him me.He wanted to be mad at me for disobeying him and nearly scaring him to death...but he couldn't be at the time.All he could do was hug me and as he led me out of the dark woods I thought I saw a tear running down his cheek....but I never mentioned it.
I will never forget how scared I was or how happy I was to see my dad that day.Since then I have spent a good part of my life in those same woods and learned how to get around in them pretty well.I have even been lost in them for a couple hours at a time since I was a adult....but have never been scared and always found my way out.
Anyway that experience stayed with me to this day although it happened over 40 years ago.A couple of years ago I was fooling around trying to write a poem and this is what came of it.I printed it but showed it to no one until one day my dad came by and I gave it to him to read....not sure what to expect from him.This time there were for sure tears running down his cheeks and he knew instantly what had inspired me.It is his favorite and he has it framed.I was not all that impressed with it and nearly threw it away without showing anyone.It was my first attempt.
I remember being lost in the forest
As a young lad a long time ago
Lost, frightened and totally helpless
And not knowing which way to go
I ran till I was racked with exhaustion
And cried for I knew not the way
With all my strength gone ,I was close to my end
And I fell to the ground where I lay
Regretting that I didn
As the morning wore on I wasn't seeing many squirrels.When I heard one barking just down the hill - I decided to go after it.It was further than I thought and when I got in the area I thought it was -it was gone.I then saw another one just off to the left and went after it....then another just down the hill and I went after it as well.I wasn't worried because the trail was just up the hill a couple of hundred yards......
When I headed back to the trail I was surprised to find no trail at the top of the hill....or the top of the next hill...or the top of the next...or the top of the next....I was hopelessly lost....and panicked!
I walked and sometimes ran for hours.At one point I remember finding a old decaying fence and following it for miles before it just ended...
By dark I was totally exhausted and scared nearly to death.{Remember I was only 11 years old} All I could hear was the night birds and coyotes,,,,and it was DARK and I had been lost for a good 12 hours or more.In exhaustion I sat down against a tree and thought about what dad had told me....It sounds silly but I was sure I would never get out of those woods alive....
Suddenly from way off in the distance I heard a yell....I yelled back and got an answer! It was my dad! I have never been so glad to see a person in my life before or since! I ran to him when he got close and embraced him,,,,,and him me.He wanted to be mad at me for disobeying him and nearly scaring him to death...but he couldn't be at the time.All he could do was hug me and as he led me out of the dark woods I thought I saw a tear running down his cheek....but I never mentioned it.
I will never forget how scared I was or how happy I was to see my dad that day.Since then I have spent a good part of my life in those same woods and learned how to get around in them pretty well.I have even been lost in them for a couple hours at a time since I was a adult....but have never been scared and always found my way out.
Anyway that experience stayed with me to this day although it happened over 40 years ago.A couple of years ago I was fooling around trying to write a poem and this is what came of it.I printed it but showed it to no one until one day my dad came by and I gave it to him to read....not sure what to expect from him.This time there were for sure tears running down his cheeks and he knew instantly what had inspired me.It is his favorite and he has it framed.I was not all that impressed with it and nearly threw it away without showing anyone.It was my first attempt.
I remember being lost in the forest
As a young lad a long time ago
Lost, frightened and totally helpless
And not knowing which way to go
I ran till I was racked with exhaustion
And cried for I knew not the way
With all my strength gone ,I was close to my end
And I fell to the ground where I lay
Regretting that I didn
