'The Elf of Plants'

 

 

"The Mushroom is the Elf of Plants -

At Evening, it is not

At Morning, in a Truffled Hut

It stop opon a Spot"

 

from Emily Dickinson's 'The Mushroom'

 

A recent walk in the autumn sunshine, along a familiar route near my home, revealed these mushrooms at the edge of the path, beneath the trees. They were not there the last time I took this route, so it was a pleasant surprise to encounter something a bit unusual. Click on the link above to read the rest of Emily Dickinson's poem. 

 

These are Clustered Brittlestem mushrooms I believe, and although not poisonous, are generally thought to be not worth eating. 

 

Writing prompt:

• Write about something that has surprised you recently. 
• Choose your favourite walk and describe it in detail- the sights, the sounds, the smells. 
• When my son was little, he hated eating mushrooms, likening them to slugs (although I never gave him those for tea!). What foods did/do you dislike eating? Write about them.