CURIOUS CREATURE

Clee Smith

Slip the Trap

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Curi, cherry, jar, and the cat

Curi and the drip

Curi and the toad

Curi and the turtle

Curi, and the mountain peaks, puka, saddle

Curi and the hot air star balloon

About the Author

A thanks, the end

Title

Curious Creature

by Clee Smith

published by Slip the Trap

Home

On a quiet little sill, in a quiet little house,

sat a quiet little jar with one small cherry inside.

Curi had looked at it every single day.

Today, for the first time, Curi wondered.

Where did you come from, little cherry?

Bus

So Curi wrapped up warm,

closed the door behind her,

and raced to catch the very first bus

to the very last stop.

Path

The bus drove off.

The road ran out.

And there, waiting, was a path

that went somewhere Curi had never been.

Cave

Curi took one small step.

Then another.

Then another after that.

The trees leaned close to listen.

Then into the cave.

Web

The cave's exit was hung with a web of frost,

sharp and bright and beautiful.

Curi did not break it.

Curi ducked underneath,

gentle as a held breath.

Prickly

A prickly plant puffed up its leaves.

I am not for touching, it seemed to say.

That is alright, thought Curi.

And tiptoed all the way around.

Massive

Something very tall was watching.

Something very tall and very shy.

Hello, said Curi.

The something very tall bent down its branches

and pointed up the mountain.

Saddle

Up and up and up,

between two quiet peaks,

where, peeking through a hole,

a soft round sun

was waiting like a friend.

Curi had never been so high.

Celestial

Then the sky began to fall.

Not rain. Not snow.

Stars. Bright, burning, beautiful stars,

streaking down in long white lines.

Curi opened a little umbrella

and watched, and watched, and watched.

Sparkle

One small star came down close,

so close it landed right beside her,

no bigger than a seed.

Curi picked it up very carefully

and tucked it away for the journey home.

Back Home

On a quiet little sill, in a quiet little house,

sat a quiet little jar.

One small cherry.

And one small, shining something

that had not been there before.

Curi smiled.

The world, it turned out,

was much, much bigger than a window.

And tomorrow, maybe,

there would be somewhere new to wonder about.

Wonders

Wonders: bird, drip, toad, turtle

A Poem

If you wonder where a cherry grows,

follow where the wander goes.

Out the door and down the lane,

out past sun and out past rain.

Through the woods where hush hangs deep,

under webs too bright to keep.

Up where mountain meets the sky —

that's how high a small thing flies.

Catch a star the night lets fall,

small enough to hold it all.

Bring a little shining home —

and the world is yours to roam.

Curi, cherry, jar, and the cat

Curi and the drip

Curi and the toad

Curi and the turtle

Curi, and the mountain peaks, puka, saddle

Curi and the hot air star balloon

About the Author

Clee Smith reads, writes, arithmetics, and sometimes reuses artwork from Inktober 2023.

Both the ebook and paperback are available on Amazon.

A thanks, the end

🤗 Thank you. 🤓

⌛ The End

CONTENTS

Curi, cherry, jar, and the cat

Curi and the drip

Curi and the toad

Curi and the turtle

Curi, and the mountain peaks, puka, saddle

Curi and the hot air star balloon