by Carla Stanley
Riding down the bike path Heading out of Bakersfield An abundance of land surrounds the route Bordered by the Kern River on one side And Stockdale Highway on the other. Grassy hillocks and trees provide shelter For insects For animals For people. Ground squirrels hug the earth, Looking like dark sprinkles on the green landscape Of the park. As the trail skirts the city Rabbits surprise us by streaking across the blacktop. We pass many people as we pedal Five miles out, Then 10, Then reach the end of the path on Enos Lane. Away from houses, roads, people, We see three roadrunners, two quail, And one lone coyote. What a day!
Carla Stanley is a retired Theater & English teacher. She is a Bakersfield native and spent 20 years as a military wife living in Oklahoma, Washington and Germany. She spends her time traveling with her husband (pre-COVID), writing, gardening, and walking her dog Sky.