Thrones In the Woods, Or Catskill Kingdom

High up amidst a forest slope, in bedding grounds where whitetails lope, by ledges hidden from our eyes, a quirky outcropping does lie. Breaking a broadleaf canopy, the scree-slope of an old quarry, long ago Dibble cut blue-stone, must be a century ago, slab-sheets cut out with sweat and pain, so much abandoned still remains… But the hikers have had their fun, make use of the work that was done, First they built half-a-dozen walls, some of them damn near six-feet tall, like some medival castle large once stood on this small mountain-scar. Up above flat-stones circle ’round, a spiral built into the ground, like Celts got lost, ended up here, or icy foes wished us to fear… A little below sit four thrones, tall, and built of stack-up stones, from the top of the old quarry, you perch, and many miles see: Black vultures soar, looking to eat, sniffing the winds for rotting meant, a hawk flies by on thermal rise, with sharp eyes rodents he espies. To the east, the sheer gash of Platte Clove, spattering of vacation homes, a cliffside road, somewhat scary, no guard-rails and turns quite hairy. Some small meadows that once were farmed, they still retain their rustic charm, rounding form of the Catskill Peaks, where vacationers long have seeked a place to play and remain sane, so what’s a better place to reign then stone thrones under brilliant sun, high up in our Catskill Kingdom.