When I was younger I had these deep woods
behind my house.
My mother warned me never to stray too far
from the path,
cautioning my friend and I against
its treachery.
Of course, being six,
we ignored her.

We were swallowed up whole by bears,
wrestled to the ground by
hunters with bloodied machetes,
chased by rabid dogs until we
fell to the ground on all fours like
the animals we were,
out of breath and hopeless.