I was a dressed up mouse
In our dad-made treehouse
As if all I could do was pout…
Hands on my hips,
tongue sticking out
of my lips…
They forgot to tell me
to come down
for dinner.
So I listened to
the beetles call
and became a singer
I gave my favorite doll
leaf-water tea
and leftover mudcakes
we were so happy.
Up here my rabbits
could not escape
through broken down fences…
no habits to run to or from,
not knowing a thing of fate.
They just find their foxholes,
chasing every carrot crumb
on Nelly Custis and Military Road…
those busy streets below.
If I slid down the pole,
my feet would hit ground
And I really
And I really
hate that sound…
So I stayed up and in,
I kept my own little
house within…
Just me
Just me
In the trees…
My own
little mouse…
Natalie resides in Peoria, Arizona, with her husband, two children, and two dogs. Her artistic journey has taken many twists and turns but photography and writing have become the primary outlets for her artistic expression. She is an artist at Offset.com. Her work/photography has been published by National Geographic Your Shot, Lensbaby, Beyond the Wanderlust, and has been licensed for ads by Samsung and other companies for advertisements. Her best days are filled with trying to guide and raise up her offspring and pups, music, reading, creating photographs and writings, hiking, yoga, cooking, and sky-gazing. In the social media world, she can be found on Instagram @natalie_a_wheeler, and as a moderator for @theechoesinside, a hub for self-portraiture.