This challenging form is called a sestina. This is the second I’ve written in response to a dVerse prompt. This one is focused at the beauty and power of the Pacific Northwest, the land that I embrace, and dearly love. My home! The region is a soul stirring, life transforming miracle! I’ve opened the door — take a look! You can click at the bottom of this post if you would like to listen to the soothing sound of the stream, and bird songs.
my searching spirit slips along its rivers
spellbound by the vastness of its forests
its ancient secrets whisper on the breeze
echoing in the treetops like quiet song
to resonate forever my beating heart
to this mystic realm I lost my heart
awestruck by these majestic mountains
rushing whitewaters serenade with song
roaring over rocks in crisp wild rivers
‘round each bend stirs a freshened breeze
wafting through timeless emerald forests
breathtaking — these pristine forests
unspoiled natural beauty steals your heart
fragrant conifers intoxicate the breeze
sun rays fall dreamlike on the mountains
sparkle diamondly on cold chop-water rivers
beauty so glorious as to celebrate in song
bles’sed mornings I wake to nature’s song
cradled joyful beneath the canopy of forests
dreams dance crisp clear waters of the rivers
nature’s energy excites the rhythm of my heart
resonant as root-chambers in old-growth forests
“be glad” breaths the quiet voice of the breeze
a treetop osprey’s cry echoes in the breeze
beautifully eerie this raptor’s haunting song
it seeks prey in the waters of these mountains
as the airborne master fisher of these forests
doing battle with a wild trout is in its heart
I use a wooden boat to fish these rivers
my imagination flows free as these rivers
life’s become light as a soft evening breeze
I hold this special place close to my heart
my spirit soars like the melody of a song
ever captive to the mystery of these forests
enchanted by the wonders of these mountains
the rush of wild rivers is like a brightening song
carried on the breeze through these ancient forests
my heart’s song resonates in these mighty mountains
rob kistner © 2019