Familiar Ground

The path has been pounded through the soft, green grass
Revealing cracked earth underneath
The trees keep guard so the path doesn’t waver
Walking upon it while it is cracked and hard
Cool in the shade is routine
But while the path doesn’t change, the temperature does
Summer heat and cracked earth
Rolls into a muddy mess with rains of autumn
Which freezes soon after the leaves change
So slippery it is better to slide than fall
Only to melt again into a muddy mess
Just before the leaves return to green
To provide the cool shade from heat
Which cracks the earth once again

While trudging through the mud
That traps your feet and pulls at your legs
Or slipping on the ice without direction
You realize you are still
Walking on familiar ground