-- Wandering Thru Nature --

John Herlihy

I do not in the mountains wander,

It is the mountains that do wander.

Their majestic presence enters me,

I gaze out, but only mountains see.

Snow-clad peaks, bedecked as a bride,

They give their gift with nothing to hide.

I do not by the rivers wander,

It is the rivers that do wander.

When I stand quietly by their side,

They enter me, their mysteries to confide.

The ripples, the rush, the glorious flight,

The voice of the river echoes in the night.

I do not through the forests wander,

It is the forests that do wander.

Forests move in unison with every tree,

To stand as quiet sentinels of all that flee.

To cross spans of eons in earthly time,

To capture the breath of eternity sublime.

I do not across the savannahs wander,

It is the savannahs that do wander.

Wind gathers breath across the savannah,

To proclaim glory in open spaces, hosanna.

Deserts look with envy at savannah grasses,

To blow in a gale as free-flowing hair of lasses.

I do not thru heavenly gardens wander,

It is heavenly gardens that do wander.

Spirit of the garden found in single souls,

The life of each bud written on ancient scrolls.

The garden unites exultant in collective beauty,

In wandering the garden, we enter its mystery.

I do not through the night wander,

It is the dark night that does wander.

Drawn from ebony found in outer space,

Only to disappear in the day without a trace.

In the weave of day and night, I wander lost,

In the tapestry of day and night, I wander found.

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(c) John Herlihy 30 May 2020