Stacked along a field
Hives waiting for a new season—
Eager honeybees
Photo by FRANK MERIÑO on Pexels.com
Innovative birds
Building new residences—
Engineering feats
Photo by 42 North on Pexels.com
National parks rest
Nature alive, feeling peace—
Visitors locked out
Photo by André Cook on Pexels.com
Sunrise at Walnut Woods Metro Park in central Ohio.
Every day, filling with precious moments
Life’s simple pleasures, love-filling treasures
Never again, take any for granted
Traveling life’s long road, each step measures
Darkened dawn sky, erupting with bright hues
Granddaughter taking first tentative walk
Life sometimes slows down, bringing a replay
Neighborhood sidewalk, hopscotch drawn in chalk
Neil Diamond lyrics, harmony through song
Mother calls, reminding me her love cares
Favorite novel, author’s words smile back
Trio of daughters, sweeter than a pair
Evening sunset, brings awesome pleasures
Tomorrow, witnessing simple treasures
Sunset in Columbus, Ohio.
Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels.com
Music permeates through the woods
Listen closely, can you hear it?
This melody brings a sense of calm
Nature witnesses a new hit
Calmness radiates from a banjo
Listen again, can you feel it?
Life pauses, taking in this song
Appreciate this moment, let’s sit
Even in darker times, comes light
Listen now, can you feel its blitz?
Calming tune filling every heart
Playing a banjo, without the glitz
People reaching out to others
Living as sisters and brothers
Steve Martin is an accomplished banjo player, and he shares a message of calmness and peace from the woods with his own self-video performance. This video inspired the writing of this poem.
Photo by Simon Robben on Pexels.com
Winter’s journey, preparing to expire
Arctic cold and wet snow, moving aside
Back in the neighborhood, spirit on fire
More than ready, empty sidewalk can’t hide
Dressed in layers, protected from the brisk air
Total darkness masks the pre-dawn heavens
Not even the moon can offer a flare
This walk takes off, two hours before seven
The pace awakens long-dormant muscles
Stay alert, skewed sidewalk lurking ahead
Heading for home, the final pace hustles
This quiet journey, beats sleeping in bed
Coming days welcome a season of spring
Allowing more walks, a waiting heart sings
Photo by Ylanite Koppens on Pexels.com
From November, 2018, here is an updated poem inspired from my reading of The Wind and the Willows, authored by Kenneth Grahame. The novel can be enjoyed by both older children and adults.
Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels.com
Meandering endlessly and aimlessly it seems
Infinitely pursuing each horizon downstream
The river faces its journey, to the ocean out to the west
Bringing much attention to itself, without taking a rest
Being fed from above, by mountain run-off far away
Roaming bank full and quickly, with not much to say
A friendly, gentle breeze offers cool, refreshing air
Bubbles rising up from a muskrat that doesn’t care
At times, the journey is surrounded by a background of trees
Arriving softly, the whispering wind says, “Please let me be”
Green, lush meadows encroach upon its rocky shore
While early spring flowers burst with color and more
Young willows grow along the river’s flank
Tree roots hidden, invisible below the bank
A large, brown trout rises gracefully above the bubbling water
Meanwhile downstream, mischief abounds with a pair of otters
An isolated cottonwood tree stands as a lone lookout
While a hungry grizzly bear wades in to pull a fish out
Sparkles of dancing light, reflecting by way of a bright sun
Providing opportunities for fishermen, casting for their fun
The vibration of splashes from a pair of wooden oars
Announces the arrival of a canoe, searching for more
A small island appears on the bend ahead—quiet and barren
There is always fascination with what nature will be wearing
Pushing ahead, an overloaded creek discharges its rampant load
The water’s own noises sometimes sound like a chorus of toads
Continuing to drive ahead toward the setting sun
The ageless river welcomes the end of its long run
Here is another installment of Monday Memories where Big Sky Buckeye revisits a previously published poem. Enjoy this edited and updated poem from January, 2019.
Unforgiving winter weather abates with a sunny pause
Hiking on hills and trails will be today’s special cause
The hiker dresses warmly due to the windy, chilly air
Hoping that his stamina will endure without any cares
He looks prepared to attack a vigorous hour-long walk
Knowing later, his body could stumble on a way to balk
The wooded trails in their colorless winter hue
Appearing in a much different setting and view
A hasty, gray squirrel scurries among fallen logs
Searching for a yummy morsel to stash and hog
The shadows look friendly and different today
Walking these trails will seem more like play
The hiker’s pace remains steady and brisk
Feeling stronger, without bearing on a risk
More trekkers descend upon the challenging trails
Experiencing nature’s offering, not wanting to fail
The journey takes the hiker up the outer route
Seeing barren trees and fallen limbs all about
Nature provides a spiritual place for all to shine
Inspiring anyone who walks this wooded shrine
A youthful boy’s eyes search up a steep hill
Locating a solitary deer, brings a huge thrill
The pace of the hiker remains steady and true
Tackling the inner trail, he will soon be through
A previous homesite welcomes the hiker’s arrival
Imagining from years ago, a past family’s survival
The unaccompanied hiker finishes the trek again
Smiling, his robust body allows him to flash a grin
From Ecclesiastes 3:1: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.
Photo by Vural Yavas on Pexels.com
Life’s journey moves into another season
Advancing time, with its definite reasons
Memories of seasons, they forever last
Recalling God’s creation, from seasons past
Life renews each and every spring
Arriving now, robins begin to sing
Harsh, dark winter—absent for good
Sending nourishing rains, because God could
Spring’s greenery gives way to summer
Seeing color-filled blossoms, never a bummer
Gardens filling with color and shapes
Maturing crops, waiting for harvest’s date
With summer’s waning days, autumn arrives
Changing colors, bring another fall alive
Maples, oaks, and others astound us
Feeling cooler temperatures, without any fuss
Autumn exits too soon, winter approaches
Bundling up, frigid cold boldly encroaches
Snow deepens from another Arctic blast
Asking, how long will winter last?
God guides lives through each season
Bringing hope, never question His reason
Eventually, another season arrives once again
Witnessing God’s creation, He decides when
Each season fuels life’s humble needs
Living with God, offering glorious deeds
Photo by Errin Casano on Pexels.com
Far older than every one of the neighboring trees
Standing taller than many, all take notice and see
The prized King of Walnut Woods reigns today
Calling him Mister Sycamore, his subjects say
With branches elevating up towards the sky
Measuring his girth, takes many hands to try
Visitors pause to salute nature’s monarch
Standing in reverence as park’s landmark
The Woods change from season to season
Watching over all, is the King’s main reason
He holds on to his leaves longer in fall
Guarding the land in winter, always tall
His leaves take some time to fill out in spring
Providing ample shade in summer is his thing
His expansive canopy of branches spreads wide
Peeling off sections of bark, creates whitish sides
His heir, the Prince, waiting in the wings
Rising lean and tall by a creek, he sings
Farther away, a thick grove of younger ones wait
Dreaming who will grow to be the tallest, so great
Mister Sycamore loves many Bible stories
Lifting Jesus up in total and brilliant glory
The story of Zacchaeus climbing a Sycamore tree
Being much too short for Jesus to find, there he be
Ohio’s biggest recorded tree is an American Sycamore found in Ashland County near Jeromesville. The tree is at least 200 years old, stands 88 feet tall, and measures 326 inches around its circumference.
The Ridge beckons me
Bringing forward praise to God—
His Cathedral waits
Morning walk awaits
My favorite lady goes—
Sadie on a leash
Photo by Ana-Maria Roseanu on Pexels.com
On the backyard deck
Feverishly eating more—
Tiny chipmunk sits
Photo by James Frid on Pexels.com
Photo by Miriam Fischer on Pexels.com
Moving along the trail, sweat runs down my back
Suddenly . . . both feet hastily stop in their tracks
Mother deer and fawn walk into my view
My eyes check the scene for any clues
The pair ventures cautiously across
Deserting another doe, feeling lost
My body stands rigid, still, and tall
Not intending to panic them at all
Mother steps back, standing quietly still
Starring back, I am amazed at this thrill
Her young fawn follows with a few steps
Looking to mother for guidance, you bet
Feeling the pleasure of stopping to watch
These two deer pause . . . I feel caught
Time stands still for a few seconds longer
My eyes survey with an inquisitive hunger
Alas, my camera didn’t make this walk
Now, only this writer’s verses will talk
Prudently, the vigilant doe keeps an eye on me
Protecting her fawn from any danger she sees
The two deer meander back into the woods
Probably glad to be done with me for good
This moment in time creates delicious prose
Not often do deer pause briefly, just to pose
The mother proves to be a cautious lookout
When she and her timid fawn wander about
Dear readers, have you experienced any encounters with deer or other wild animals. You are invited to share your experiences with a comment. I look forward to reading and replying back.
Big Sky Buckeye 