hiking through fjord
knees stumble on dark weeds
church gong peals
We hike the trails where emerald silence grows,
The forest hums beneath the morning light,
The mountain breathes in rhythms nature knows.
The beach wind plays with gulls in seaward flight,
We splash through waves, our footprints wash away,
The forest hums beneath the morning light.
By lakes so still they mirror skies all day,
Canoes drift slow like dreams in midday sun,
We splash through waves, our footprints wash away.
Through wooded paths, the deer and foxes run,
We pitch our tent where starlight softly lands,
Canoes drift slow like dreams in midday sun.
A fire is born from our own weathered hands,
We share our tales until the embers die,
We pitch our tent where starlight softly lands.
We hike the trails where emerald silence grows,
The mountain breathes in rhythms nature knows,
The beach wind plays with gulls in seaward flight,
We share our tales until the embers die.
Hiking Hannah wondered about hundreds of hikes in her wonder journals.
She's been to Kansas to see sunflowers and Iowa to see corn kernels.
Her cousin asked. Are you going to Europe- namely Italy any time soon?
Hannah's laborious notes said Saturn, Pluto,and maybe the moon.
She had the boots, the canned foods, the can opener, and the walking stick.
The heels of her boots were heavy, because they were incredibly thick.
She had seen so many marvelous things and tasted cookies, Chips Ahoy.
Next, she might concentrate on the Midwest, Maybe Omaha or Illinois.
I thought you were going to outer space, her sister Sally said to Hannah.
Hannah was fixing herself a sandwich of peanut butter, lettuce and banana.
Possibly, or maybe Canada or Mexico, she said with a little bit of sass.
First she had to get a waitress job, down at the Derby Bass.
For money is important if you want to be a hiker.
Or an astronaut or doctor or even a kerchief-wearing biker.
Mountain climb
Visualize
Look out
Observation
Explore
Word Start
Write down
Continue to Marvel
Perhaps write a Novel
Energizing climb
Full of Inspiration
Idea Thought
Words defining the concept
Determined and Fulfilling
Hiking trail embracing understanding
Hiking, Involvement, Movement and excelling Poet
Hiking in the forest,
My feet crunching on the leaves that have fallen to the ground from the trees that surround me.
Hiking uphill to the top of the mountain
To a scenic viewpoint that awaits me.
The viewpoint,
Its breathtaking.
A beautiful dark blue sky with colorful clouds and a rainbow.
And in the distance my eyes spot the gorgeous blue ocean
And closer up is the beautiful indescribable autumn colors of trees that are reds, and oranges and yellows.
Oh how grateful I am to have hiked in a forest up a mountain to this gorgeous view.
Trail strings, earth's past tale,
Calavera's crest unfolds,
Views honor the strides.
A floor of dead rusted leaves rustle and crackle
Crunching their crisp skins dancing under my feet
Shuffling with sodden soil thick with grit - I grapple
With sticky dew grass and spongy peat
Alligatored tree bark grabs my hands then bites as I shamble
Holding on for balance on uneven chards of scalloped stone
Dazed by the cool dark mist in this early morning amble
I am rough shod but heart happy right down to my bones!
Increasing one's mileage
though a long-lost child of Earth
hiking in familiar wilderness areas
sluggish, bed-bound days
wandering in the midst of the night
daydreaming with a night light on
snarled up in bedclothes.
discern internal struggles.
simple, intricate, and exquisite
conversions from the Ember era
In the silence, hear faint whispers
I indulge in sluggish laps
I wish to hear your syllogistic reasoning
not believing what is reported
Many people can sleep soundly
All is resolved with syntax
happily soaking up insights into you
whenever you hit the silent button.
Written: May 22, 2023
Whatever the offerings of time may bring
Whatever song my heart chooses to sing
On life’s small pursuit I shall meditate
Elysian splendor around me, I appreciate
The simplicities of pastoral living unfurl
I’m graced in your stellar light, a cosmic pearl
Serene contemplation, moments well spent
A transcend of intellect, I pursue contentment
Humbled, a mochila drapes my shoulders
Now weightless, old tomes heavy as boulders
Once laden with Maslow's hierarchy of needs
The cause of sight itself as Plato laid the seeds
Streets of an unclean soulless city no more
Once blemished and ugly as a repellant eyesore
Until this vacant shell had found release,
acceptance paralleled an inner peace
A new perspective can only see the beauty
of the craftsmanship and the ingenuity
On this celestial hike I embrace “carpe diem”
A lesson learned in this hour spans a millennium
The power and value of each moment
however brief, I walk along as an exponent
Unfurling love that rids me of my emptiness
Colloquially speaking I have found happiness
With my furry, white companion, Luna by my side,
We venture forth in Colorado's wide-open stride.
My dog's tail wags, a joyous sight,
As we embark on our hike, under the sky's bright light.
The crisp mountain air invigorates,
As we navigate the trails with a steady gait,
Amidst Colorado's natural beauty all around,
With each step we take, a new wonder is to be found.
We explore the wild, my dog and I,
In Colorado's rugged terrain, beneath the endless sky.
Her bark echoed through valleys and hills,
A symphony that the wilderness fills.
The wild terrain, we explore with glee,
My dog's wagging tail is pure harmony.
Nature's splendor, a feast for the eyes,
As we journey under the endless skies.
ferns cascade
along a woodland trail
verdigris spires
Wah-ooo, wah-ooo,
Oo-oo, oo-oo, oo.
Wah-ooo, wah-ooo,
Oo-oo, oo-oo, oo.
Walkin' dow-nuh street
On me achy feet
Allah li'l birdies go
Tweet tweet tweet
Wah-ooo, wah-ooo,
Oo-oo, oo-oo, oo.
Not gonna crawl
In frunnuh you all
Maybe gonna hide unner
A sheet, sheet, sheet.
Ah-ooo, ah-ooo,
Oo-oo, oo-oo, oo.
Vibrant chroma dots the mountains and valleys;
we hike the Red River gorge, taking in it’s
majestic pigmentation; leaves of October
crunch beneath booted feet.
We take our journey with care, as the cliffs
can be deadly in an instant; still, the crisp
Kentucky mountain air is rejuvenating to
lungs, too long in the city’s smog.
I stop at the edge of a cliff, checking my sure-footedness and spot a doe leaping in the lower valley; taking out my camera, I snapped a shot
of this bold being.
I’ve taken lots of wonderful photos on this hike and as the sun sets, My friend whispers, shh...I look to see a Copperhead less than six feet from us; we are fortunate that he is not coming towards us; knowing its bite can kill, we stand perfectly silent and still, so as not to startle it until he gets far enough away.
I shove my camera into my backpack and we resume our slow trek down, the cliff where we’ll head back to our car.
October in Kentucky is full of amazing fauna;
still one must beware the dangers,
for the bliss of the resplendent autumn experience.
2-7-2022
A STRAND (1068) Poetry Contest
Brian Strand
the sea winds calling
calling beach tides thrilling
thrilling woodlands for hiking
hiking along streams vibrant
vibrant wildlife still sprawling
sprawling plant life enthralling
enthralling cobble streets for strolling
strolling perfection in a New England town ~~
a New England town of actual living sounds -
sounds like I should permanently settle down:
Leading a simple life are solid folk.
Many fish the sea for their living.
In city life, they would be slowpokes,
but here time is for deep breathing.
Old lighthouses dot an idyllic coast
and fishing boats fill the scenic harbors.
There’s shellfish aplenty for dining ardor.
Many inns are old homes of lace and charm,
reminiscent of America’s youth.
There are old horse bridges and farms
built when pride was America’s truth.
There is much history to relish
and nature that stirs one zealous.
New England is the good life embellished
and an address that I would cherish.
Let's drift along paths of old heather,
See today is beautiful weather.
The lightest mist of dew still wet leaves
Lying in fields in tightly bound sheaves.
Meandering along citrus trees
Sweet blossoms announce a bumper crop
And fragrance grow up slopes to the top.
A rill flows downhill forming a pool,
We go into the water so cool,
Let the sun shine in mid-summer heat
Then we'll drink out our beer as a treat.
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