Spring sun
warms my shoulders
lingering longer
each day
spring awakens
the pacific northwest
stirs to life
alfresco
days take on a exhilarating glow
the nurturing rains of spring
are subsiding
the air
especially mountain air
becomes intoxicatingly ionized
its a heady elixir
breathing the hyper-fresh air
bathing in the sunlight
which brilliantly illuminates
the cascade peaks
nature’s calendar
notated in golden rays
as soon —
solstice approaches
old growth stands
stretching upward
empowered by the vigor of spring
to meet the approaching summer
towering overhead
they offer their shade
to the forest floor
beneath their protective canopy
a complex world unfurls
freshened streams
crisp with spring melt
wend, pool, then stir
to careen their way
down the mountainside
briskly chill
energy charged
tumbling enlivened
between boulders
and tree fall
nature’s diversions
warmed by the nearing
spring sun
crystalline azure
high mountain lakes
ripple spritely
in the spring breeze
these lake basins
sharp cloud-spanned climbs
cascading rivers
and deep gentle meadows
each forged
not so long ago
by the sculpting hand
of the ice age
carving glaciers
all still reflect
their chiseled origins
and the power
of their geophysical youth
a world in harmony
transcending time
earth’s heartbeat
resonates in my bones
old growth
anthropocene forests
climb surrounding summits
now-dormant volcanic ranges
born of chaos and fire
loom boldly
in the distance
snow-capped giants
enshrouded in morning mist
pierce the skyline
subalpine wild flowers
paint the pastoral valley’s
of this breathtaking world
in vivid color
soul stirred
I gently gasp
a magical tapestry of life
unfolds before me
the approaching solstice
heralds summer’s peak
when neither dark of night
nor light of day
hold sway
this is a time of balance
a time of new birth
a time of continuing growth
a time of gratiurde
a sun-drenched
cornucopia of possibility
where seemingly dreams
— like new life
become reality
in this wilderness realm
I find my rhythm
I find my place
I find my sanctuary
the moon waxes and wanes
the sun rises and sets
the tides ebb and flow
waves crash and recede
nature sleeps and awakens
while here
midst this flux of existence
the mountains stand
constant
eternal
and the patterns repeat
*
rob kistner © 2023
Poetry at: dVerse