Three Woodland Amulets (poems): On a Sierra Club Hike
Happy Jack, Wyoming
Three Woodland Amulets
Hiking in Happy Jack woods
woods of resplendent aspen
aspen with gold-tinged leaves
tinged leaves fluttering in air
in air bracing and cool
cool and invigorating to the soul
hiking in Happy Jack woods.
On that morning, bright and clear
bright and clear was my mind
my mind took in Shadow Mountain
Shadow Mountain rose above a lake
a lake that reflected dense forests
dense forests coated the rising hill
the rising hill had a winding trail
the winding trail was my objective
my objective seemed so clear that day
that day, alas, proved to be challenging
challenging me beyond my spirit's core
my spirit's core seemed so numbed
so numbed that I could not begin
begin I tried but sat right down
sat right down on the ground below
the ground below held me captive
captive I remained not knowing why
why did I not climb Shadow Mountain?
Shadow Mountain only knows why
on that morning bright and clear.
Yellow quaking aspen flow
flow like waves of frozen fire
fire that warms not the flesh
not the flesh but the spirit
the spirit of one in quest
in quest of wild Nature
wild Nature that rises within
within the person revived by
yellow quaking aspen that flow.
Writing
Have you ever written an amulet?
Happy Jack, Wyoming
© 2013 Richard Francis Fleck