My Walk by Fish Lake

It rained in camp this morn,
Heavy drops of wet the leaves adorn.
Low in the pale gray sky
Clouds descend, hiding Cathedral Peak from my eye.

Massive mountains are in the distance
All laden with green trees at first glance.
But look closer and you can see
Numerous brown trunks broken off at the knee.

Strolling along the path near Fish Lake
The water is still, neither quake nor wake
Does disturb the smooth mirrored surface
Reflecting tall trees, craggy mountains, and all creation by God’s grace.

Hiding in reeds, geese squawk and their wings they flap
As the early bird awakens the others from their morning nap.
Small birds sing, bossy black ravens squawk,
A chipmunk scolds loudly as he gets to work.

Along the path I spy mushrooms short and tall,
Flat ones, brown ones, and one resembles a white golf ball.
The season is autumn, it is evident–
The twigs of shrubs are bare, their leaves are spent.

Bear claw, vine maple, and others I don’t know
Surround my path everywhere I go.
Lying hiding in the undergrowth animals they watch–
Could be spotted deer, black bear, or even Sasquatch.

Hanging heavily from every tree limb
Moss cloys the sunlight, making it dim.
Eventually the trees will suffer due to the weight
By nature this furry parasite causes the trees fatal fate.

Disturbing this paradise of beauty are stumps
Littered with beer cans, bottle caps and red Solo cups.
Creating havoc with startling alert, there’s a disturbance–
Dirt bikes vroom vroom and horsebackers are near, I hear their loud dance.

Time to return to the solitude back at camp
I complete my walk through the grass so damp.
My memories will linger for days, even weeks
Of this walk near the stream and under the high peaks.