Stand of Oregon old growth.
Oregon Lakeshore Trail #656, at Inlet Creek.
My footfalls
drum the root chambers
of the old growth
each step
cushioned by centuries of needle-drop
deep in this ancient forest
enjoying the rise and fall
twist and turn of the trail
I’ve circled a portion
of the cerulean mountain lake
crooked walking stick
smooth in my right hand
rounding a bend in the trail
brushing through waist-high fern
when to my left
in my peripheral
glimpses through the old-growth
flashes of rippled sterling
dance
sparkling in scattered sunlight
lost lake
old as time
steel deep
glacial cold
seductively enchanting
a few more steps
I crest a knoll
come upon a restless brook
and stop
mesmerized
I have arrived
wandering into my wonderland
filtered by the towering woodland canopy
light drifts down dreamlike
settles golden
into the natural cathedral before me
a downed giant redwood
the perfect natural alter
sacred and serene
were it a manmade cathedral
or a grande ballroom
truly gorgeous
might describe it
but this is so much more
breathtaking
falls short
even magnificent
feels wanting
a cool lake breeze
enfolds me
filled with the heady scent
of the living earth
cascade red cedar
douglas fir
ponderosa pine
moss
fern
bark
loam
wildflower
ionized mountain air
intoxicated
I grow very quiet
listening
with my soul
to the majestic still
breathing in the ancient
I become this moment
rapt
in touch with my spirit
with all of existence
with the eternal
transcendent
in this paradise
Mt Hood seen from Oregon Lakeshore Trail #656 just before old growth stand.
This is the natural gateway on Trail #656 opening on the old growth stand.
Both well over 200 feet tall, and hundreds of years old.
1/2 mile ahead you leave the path, wandering into the heart of the giants!
mighty sentinels
guardians of the old growth
may ever you stand
*
rob kistner © 2022
more wild stillness poetry at: earthweal
