Nature’s Extremes
By John Herlihy

The more barren and rugged the mountains are,
The more windy and unruly the rivers will be.
The more flaming and burning the sunset is,
The more pitch-black nighttime darkness seems to be.
The more intense the eye of the full moon’s face is,
The more distant those stars in the heavens seem to be.
The more like a pillowed bed cumulus clouds are,
The more like a river of light the Milky Way seems to be.
The more swelling and rhythmic the ocean waves are,
The more surging and receding the tides seem to be.

The more moody and riotous the ocean itself is,
The more serene and peaceful the forest seems to be.
The more striking and terrorizing lightning is,
The more resounding and fearful thunder seems to be.
The more like a miracle the arrival of dawn is,
The more like a mystery fading twilight seems to be.
The more insistent and determined the budding flower is,
The more lush and verdant the meadow’s grass seems to be.
The more human some animal instincts and sentiments are,
The more animal some human behavior and deeds seem to be.

The more I wonder about nature’s tendency toward extremes,
The more I realize that the true reality is not what it seems.