I was relaxing in my sunroom, one very peaceful afternoon,
Enjoying the fables of Aesop, and all the flowers abloom.

The view from the many windows, was gold sunshiny delight,
With blossoms and rich greenery, and many birds in flight.

Every now and then I chuckled, at comical characters I met,
And the morals that they learned, and would not soon forget.

I whiled away the afternoon, becoming lost in a daydream,
Until I realized my garden, was a place I had never been!

Gone were lawn and blooms, and in their place was a meadow,
Teeming with wildflowers, maroon, orange, blue and yellow.

And also different birds, which I never before had seen,
With deep forest in the distance, by far much more green!

I was most curious and eager, this charming land to explore,
So without any hesitation, I wandered out of the back door.

Then I saw that my house, was changed into a very small hut,
With a grass thatched roof, and a window that was now shut.

There was a path near the house, so I gaily set out walking;
But there wasn't much to be seen, except a lovely morning.

My city had vanished, though I saw other huts much like mine!
So I admired lavishly hued birds, the color of bordeaux wine.

After a short time walking, I saw a fox beneath a shady tree,
That kept leaping into the air, and acting quite peculiarly.

He finally gave it up and left, while disgustedly muttering.
"The grapes were most probably sour," he came by me spluttering.

Like the sunset colors the sky, only to then call it a night,
Or blooms that are gone forever, after giving pure delight!

I was stunned and amazed, that the animals here could speak;
And curiosity took me to the tree, to take just a small peek.

I saw a grapevine covered tree, with juicy grapes way up high,
My mouth had begun to water, when I saw a stout stick nearby.

I grabbed that fallen limb, and knocked the grapes right down;
And I began eating them, before they had touched the ground.

And I learned an important lesson, most anyone can understand,
If you just keep on trying, no goal is too lofty or grand!

The morning was still young, and I was enjoying my stroll,
When I met a fox, a tortoise and a hare, near a grassy knoll.

The hare was teasing the tortoise, because he was very slow,
The tortoise then replied, he always reached his goal, even so.

That was when they all noticed me, and they said how do you do?
And greeting them all, I proposed a race to resolve the issue.

With Fox as their judge, the two coursed as fast as they could,
Hare went right out of sight, and Tortoise wasn't doing so good.

Like the milky shooting star, tends to outrun all the others,
And then quickly disappears, once it's shown its true colors!

But tortoise won the race, because Hare laid down on the job,
And when we woke Hare up, I thought for a moment he might sob.

Trying to cheer him up, I challenged a race between us three,
And the fox said that he would judge, for he was sort of lazy.

This time the hare stayed awake, to my very extreme displeasure.
I, however beat Tortoise, while Hare beat both of us together.

And I learned a lifelong lesson, it somewhat pains me to know.
That the race isn't always given to the swift, nor to the slow!

Further on I saw a sunlit glade, and a sly fox admiring a crow,
She was perched high up in a tree, as fox gazed on reverently.

Crow possessed a tempting morsel, as fox excited her vanities,
When fox begged one silken warble, Crow cawed and lost the cheese.

Though Crow was quite sad, the fox still gobbled with greed.
Then he turned his flattery on me, with an astonishing speed!

I was eating some of the grapes, that I had captured earlier,
And perhaps my mild thirst, made them taste all the sweeter.

"How lovely you look dear," Fox enthused with his fanged smile,
"Let me hold your grapes for you, so that you can rest awhile."

I told shifty Fox no thank you, in a gracious and charming voice,
And he crept dejectedly back to the wood, since he had no choice.

From this I learned a lesson, that I still teach to the youth:
Though there may be truth in flattery, flattery is not the truth!

As shadows were growing long, I left that sad corner of the wood,
And suddenly missing home, I backtracked to find it if I could.

Like the tireless hands of a clock, retraces the path of moments,
Or the return of endless seasons, once they find time is potent!

I encountered no more animals, they seemed somehow wary of me,
And when I reached my charming hut, sunset skies had colors many.

As soon as I entered the airy sunroom, all was as it was before,
And when I turned around, only lawn and garden was outside my door.

The enchanted fabled forest, never returned to my neighborhood again,
But the experience has made me wiser, for memory is a good friend!

And I had extreme good fortune, to somehow be able to eavesdrop,
Deep within an ancient forest, upon the charming tales of Aesop!