Back in Time

Walking along the ancient canal towpath fills my mind with thoughts of years ago . . .

Early morning walk, going back in time

Autumn’s breath creates thoughts, filling with rhyme

 

Trekking along canal’s ancient pathway

Thoughts caress past moments, plenty to say

 

Gentle breeze, sending leaves twirling on down

Mind arrives at different time and town

 

Dreaming . . .

 

More simple times, without high tech living

Days invite, delightful and forgiving

 

Riding bareback along this old canal

Looking for trees to climb with school-age pals

 

Fishing one final time, nearby pond waits

When icy winter comes, change to ice skates

 

Creepy, storm-filled nights, reading classic prose

Edgar Allen Poe’s words, scary shadows

 

Looking for literature’s lighter themes

Whitman, Hawthorne, Melville adding to dreams

 

Quiet evenings filled with family time

Gathered around for radio’s primetime

 

Crisp, fall afternoon, gridiron titans clash

College football rivals looking to smash

 

Romance blossoms, courtship takes center stage

Life filling with sweetness, each turning page

 

Back to reality . . .

 

Journey runs into closed gate at Rager Road

Turning around, grateful for time borrowed

 

Looking forward to walking here real soon

Fondest memories, let them sing a tune

 

A quiet place for fishing, conversation, and winter ice skating.

Beyond Compare

From the words of English novelist and poet, Mary Webb:  “Nature’s music is never over; her silences are pauses, not conclusions.”

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Creation’s wonders, lasting treasures

Beyond compare, by any measure

 

God’s unique Spirit molds, creates

Earth living as His domain, first-rate

 

Forests dazzle with matchless beauty

Witness to our Lord’s sacred duty

 

Animal species roam, some quite rare

Others appear to be everywhere

 

Distinctive flowers color the land

Their music soothes, like any jazz band

 

Unequaled majesty reaching high

Rugged mountains climbing to the sky

 

Creatures with their eccentric pursuits

Actions showing off, fun attributes

 

Man taking note of what God has done

High praises, He stands second to One

 

One and only one master designs

Each day, smiling at His nature shrines

 

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From Genesis 1:29-30:  “God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.  And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’  And it was so.”

Still on Watch

Deserted, severed tree trunk

Shattered by storms long ago

Splitting this giant in two

Forsaken now in its woes

 

Nature’s hand calling the shots

Drawing dark cards from the deck

Standing alone, slowest death

Trying to salvage this wreck

 

Deformed snag appears lifeless

Yet, God calls this wildlife tree

Standing proudly, still on watch

Nature’s snack bar waits for free

 

Living nearby, log still lives

Covered with lichens and moss

Home for God’s smallest creatures

Termites, beetles . . . march across

 

Jagged stump remains on guard

Below the ground, roots still thrive

Life holds on, another year

Perseverance to survive

 

Around the dark, scuttled tree

Racing to reach sunlight first

Young saplings growing skyward

Cycle of life, marked to burst

 

All of the photographs were taken at Chestnut Ridge Metro Park, which is located just outside of Canal Winchester, Ohio.  I frequently walk this park during the fall, spring, and summer months with an occasional hike in the wintertime.

God’s Creatures (Haiku Series #94)

Wake Up

Geese flying overhead

Echoing in morning dawn—

Nature’s alarm clock

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Tasty

Summer afternoon

Sweetest nectar from milkweed—

Butterflies frolic

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Under Surveillance

Walking the park trail

Sensing with each cautious step—

Who’s really watching?

Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com

Moments with Nature (Haiku Series #89)

Turf Fight

Eagle’s invasion

Trespassing and threatening—

Tiny bird attacks

Photo by Frank Cone on Pexels.com

Still Safe

Dark clouds approaching

When thunderstorm moves away—

Tree limbs wave goodbye

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Forever Gone

Footprints on the beach

Nature brings its eraser—

Surf cleans them away

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Scenic Mountain Vistas

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Sitting home, isolated and alone

Taking virtual trips, changes life’s tone

 

America’s landscapes invite us in

Scenic mountain vistas, adventures grin

 

Alaska Range, home to our northernmost peaks

Denali “the tall one” forever speaks

 

Cascade Range roams the Pacific Northwest

Snow-capped volcanoes offer stunning quests

 

Sierra Nevada’s enchanted land

Host national parks, majestic and grand

 

Rocky Mountains form this nation’s backbone

Stunning beauty, more precious than gemstones

 

Sawtooth Mountains salute from Idaho

Endless summits bring skiers to the snow

 

Bighorn Mountains, sacred to native ways

Montana-Wyoming border sings praise

 

Adirondack Mountains, New York’s playground

Winter skiing, fall foliage—best around

 

Great Smoky Mountains push for Tennessee

Fog-covered peaks, spellbinding all agree

 

Blue Ridge Mountains welcome us back home

Free-flowing Shenandoah smiles and roams

 

Photo by Polina Chistyakova on Pexels.com

Wherever you live or where your travels take you, you may have a favorite mountain paradise.  One of my precious favorites is the Beartooth Mountains in south-central Montana, a stone’s throw away from Yellowstone National Park.  

You are invited to share one of your special places in the comments.

Montana’s rugged Beartooth Mountains [photo courtesy of pinterest].

Ridgetop Treasure

From above the ground, a trellis provides a fertile place for grapes to grow.

From a ridgetop garden

Nature’s treasure hides out

Offering its harvest

Flora lives all about

 

Flowers blooming early

Winter now disappears

Colorful bouquets reign

Sweetest fragrances cheer

 

Warming springtime sunshine

Changes the ground cover

New, tender shoots of grass

Young deer will discover 

A young deer finds the tender grass to her liking.

Trellis roof shelters grapes

Ripen in summer’s sun

Fill with juicy flavor

Birds enjoy tasty fun

 

Apple and black walnut trees

Shading nature’s grand shrine

Fruit dropping to the ground

Squirrels and deer will dine

 

Former home site lives on

Garden paradise waits

Coming alive each spring

Winking back at its mates

Apples ripen in the warm summer sun.

All of the photographs were taken during a couple of recent morning walk at Chestnut Ridge Metro Park, which is just minutes away from Canal Winchester, Ohio.  The hilltop garden remains long after the house (built in the 1930s) was abandoned.  I was blessed to spend several minutes photographing a very cooperative deer while I was quietly standing near a tree.  

Nature’s Witness (Elfchen Series #23)

Scared

Rabbit

Sensing danger

Heart beating fast

Sitting quiet and still

Invisible

Photo by Frank Cone on Pexels.com

God’s Country

Morning

Glorious sunrise

Big Montana Sky

Prairies, mountains smile forever

Applause

From southwestern Montana, the Tobacco Root Mountains rise above the Madison River valley.

Mystery

Hiking

Park trail

With cautious steps

Who’s watching me now?

Greetings

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Nature’s Gifts (Haiku Series #84)

Sweet Fragrance

Nature sending love

Despite social distancing—

Smelling sweet flowers

Photo by Gustavo Fring on Pexels.com

Concert in the Pines

Deep in the forest

Harmony reigns over all—

Are we listening?

Photo by Taryn Elliott on Pexels.com

Catch Us—If You Can

One, two, three, four, five

Their heads bobbing up and down—

Turkeys in tall grass

Photo by Simon Migaj on Pexels.com

Nature’s Endless Song

I feel so fortunate to have so much of nature’s treasures not far from my front door.  Two metro parks are a short drive away, and their endless song always beckons me to return.  The photos used with this poem were taken in central Ohio at various times of the year.

Nature will never sing the blues

Her beauty sends out blessed clues

 

Walking with her in tranquil woods

Sharing her soul, always feels good

 

Moments cherished, singing with joy

Her spirit brings much to enjoy

 

Spending endless hours in her care

Filling with melodies to share

 

Life’s journey follows nature’s tune

Her endless smile reaches the moon

 

Smelling the essence of tall pines

Tasting better than vineyard’s wines

 

Cycle of living never fades

Nature coyly playing charades

 

Changing seasons bring new décor

Hearing symphonies, voices soar

 

Autumn sets up winter’s game plan

Spring fading into summer’s tan

 

Composing its endless, ageless song

Hearing nature, singing along