Heartnotes

            It was early morning sometime after sunrise when I went out for a walk down the lone dusty dirt road. It was summertime and I was fifteen, living in rural Arkansas. I was heading to the pond in the far pasture to sit and just enjoy nature, when halfway to my destination, a lone reddish wolf stepped silently from the woods and into my path.               Less than three feet away he stopped in the middle of the road. The wolf looked me right in the eyes, and I just stood there looking right back at him. I wasn’t afraid, just really surprised. Living near the woods for most of my young life, I had seen many coyotes, but never a wolf. The communication between us was silent as we both absorbed the other’s energy, creating some sort of a bond. After about 6 seconds, he turned and walked silently back into the woods, and I continued my journey to the pond. Even though he was out of my sight, I knew without a doubt that the wolf was still lurking in the woods watching me. T