Landscape

 

The mountain stream clear and cold thunders

from nearly slopes down the boulder-strewn canyon

walls ridged with striations of grey, black and red 

layers of mineral formation. Spume and mist

from the charging stream have reamed the granite

into a deep divide, constant moisture over the

aeons creating a place of sound and mystery

where rich green mosses cushion the rockface

and lichen thickly embroiders trunks and limbs

of hemlock, spruce and pine. On the damp forest

floor sorrel, partridgeberry and blueberries thrive

alongside straw lilies, trilliums, lilies-of-the-valley

and Ladies Slipper. Tall dogwood shrubs and

moose maple form the dripping understory of

this forest extravagant with fallen old giants

tree roots laddering the boulder-strewn forest floor.

A sudden wind blows the pestilence of tiny winged

creatures in avid search of warm-blooded prey.