Time and circumstance, geography divides, miles between.
Snapshots of yesterday resonate from days gone by.
Scenes of nature cascade like an endless waterfall.
Glints of sunlight dance, undulating to water’s rhythm.

Wading in brook’s swollen waters, pouring rain night before.
Spying crayfish, hidden and anchored near its uneven edge.
Lithe royal purple lilies punctuate the lanky velvet grasses,
Their reign is brief and purposeful, proclaiming summer’s glory.

Lone birch tree stands wearily at watch guarding the wilderness mysteries.
Holes pepper its sun-faded bark, a redheaded pileated woodpecker
lands, a continuous jaunt from here to there, his beak leads the way.
Silence ceases, a cacophony of drumming reveals nature’s tenacity.

Four sets of rolled up pants to mid-calves topped with colorful hats,
protection twofold from sun and flies, relentless during summer’s eve.
We round the bend to explore the nooks and crannies, amid fields and forest.
Sneakered feet squish and ooze water, no jagged rocks pierce these feet.

Day’s journey draws to a close, sun-kissed smiles bud, blossom, and bloom.
Nature’s fresh air tames even the wildest of children’s spirits- if only for a little while.
Warm dinners satisfy pangs of hunger, and showers wash away sediment and soil.
Soon, bedtime beckons with dreams borne of imagination and nature’s majesty.

Time and circumstance, geography divides, miles between.
Snapshots of yesterday resonate from days gone by.
Months and years, a collection of memories and lessons learned.
Skinned knees heal and bee stings fade, but never nature’s leading and influence.

Copyright © J. L. Smith May 13, 2023

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