On my walk today,
I saw five deer and two blue herons,
And they saw me too!
The deer ran away,
But the herons remained.
It's times like these when
I breathe in --
Started by the joy
Of such a delight;
the last time was in Paris
two years ago.
(Ah, to wake up in there is something else!)
On my walk today
The deer posed motionless
In front of the ancient,
Wrought-iron fence
Enclosing the house,
(Still stately after two centuries).
It sits alone --
High on a hill
Amid the groves of trees
And daffodiles.
Dark clouds gather,
And I head home --
Up the hill,
And down the hill,
And along the meandering paths --
Past
aged tree trunks,
And clumps
Of ferns and wiregrass --
Past
The now deserted golf course
That now serves
As a refuge
For deer and herons,
Owls,
And streams that grace the land,
As old as time.
Back to my house now,
Feeling blessed,
Rejuvenated
By these things, so near to me.
It is hot,
And the sun has been causing me
To sweat bullits.
I pause in the shade
Of a neighbor's tree,
Then continue on.
Should I be so lucky
To have these things
So close by.
Back home,
The clothes come off,
And I'm naked,
Watching the rain fall
Cooling off
In front of the fan,
While I reflect on these scenes
Of the town.
