copperhead

i almost missed it
as i daydreamed below the canopy
of the oaks and maples
there it waited, on the trail
a handsome copperhead
alluring
i did not expect it
though natural to these woods
for a moment it was quiet
and we saw each other
and a hiker came
and twigs snapped
and leaves crunched
and with a flick of its tongue
it slithered under the brush
and i felt tomorrow