These photos and poem, are of our former Oregon home grounds in the Cascade Mountain foothills. That is my wife Kathy standing under, and peering up into our 2 giant banana palms. This was our little eden for 25 years, from 1990.“
Drifting back in time
memory has settled at a cherished place
in my beloved former Oregon home
of 25 years
it is the large window
overlooking the amazing garden
that my wife Kathy meticulously created
through this window
remembered so vividly this day
I see the scurry of creatures
warmed by the Oregon summer
I hear nature
in splendid voice
the chuff
of a tree’d red squirrel
the song
chirp
and trill of birds
chickadee
goldfinch
western bluebird
a striking red-headed
yellow-winged
western tanager
and others
fly
flutter
and flit
in a flash of orange
a striking northern flicker
momentarily eschewing insects
is peck peck pecking
cracking black-oil sunflower seeds
that spill from our feeder
a red-tailed hawk
calls
kee-eeeee-arr
kee-eeeee-arr
from atop a Sitka spruce
swaying
in the crisp blue sky
the muffled belling of a deer
wandering the safety of old-growth
whispers
through the foothills
the distant bark
of a neighbor’s dog
echoing the basin
up along our stream
joined by scattered laughter
reminds me
we have friends nearby
good friends
my wife’s
gentle laughter
acknowledges the friendship
her tender smile
validates our love
the rustle of leaves
stirred by the breeze
wafting through the valley
smartly punctuated
by the staccato
of conifer cones
that fall
from time to time
wrested free by chickaree
and chipmunk
chattering high in Douglas fir
busy with their forage
I clearly recall the
wap wap wap
they bounce off our roof
striking the ground
closely followed
by the scamper
of their liberators
crunching their way
to the heart-meat of the cone
the delicacy
that elicits this furious industry
drifting in the window
intoxicating fragrances
cedar
pine
fir
lily
rose
lilac
grasses
loam
and more
a rich
earthy bouquet
I breathe in
deeply
a heady smile
lost in my reverie
remembering
sweetly remembering
a place lost in time
*
rob kistner © 2021
Poetry at: dVerse
Fine work, Rob! I especially enjoyed the auditory emphases.
Your poetry and photography exude a lushness that delights! Ah, yes ~ OREGON.
Miss my home there, but love being with my grandson! 🙂
Thank you so much for taking us back there with you. Here’s hoping that that garden has someone new to love it.
Thank you Zan, it does. 🙂 They send pictures to my wife each summer, to show any additions.
Heaven on earth! I understand why you miss it, but I also understand why you have chosen to be with your grandson <3
It was a win win in the end Lisa… 🙂
Made me feel right at home.
I long for that home and those days — but I must be here to be a part of my grandson’s life.
Oh… I wanna go experience that home. Well captured in your poem????
Pat
🙂
This is such a gorgeous, gorgeously epic write, Rob! Sigh 🙂
Thank you Sanaa! 🙂
Oh… I wanna go experience that home. Well captured in your poem <3
Pat
Thank you Pat! 🙂
Sweet memories.
There are indeed Ken!
Beautiful
Thank you Jane… 🙂