-- Nature on a Grand Scale --

John Herlihy

We marvel at the rose and the petunia,

Every petal unfolds with exquisite grace.

We adore the wealth of nature’s minutia,

Blooms in summer gardens or winter lace.

Yet what of mother nature on a grand scale,

The big picture, so big we can easily overlook.

Broad brush stokes also tell an amazing tale,

Not just the murmurings of a country brook.

The sky overhead a sea of crystal clear blue,

As if the sky had left the hope of rain behind.

Mimicking beauty of the sea as the wind blew,

Mirror reflections that fill our recesses of mind.

No swelling hint of some far happier sea or sky,

Only the profound peace found in such solitude.

These vast expanses will give the answer to why,

We absorb their enduring grace to find quietude.

Surging rivers that make their way to the sea,

Born of the frigid climes of dripping glacial frost.

Mountain rivers from seasonal rains falling free,

Make their way thru earth and stone, never lost.

Mountains themselves aloof in their grandeur,

Sleeping behemoths sprawled in attitudes wild.

In eternal repose, we gaze upon them as voyeur,

Lost in their midst, we understand ourselves exiled.

Who can ever forget the first time to see an ocean;

The vastness of its moody face will induce a thrill.

Waves, ever rhythmic and cresting, exude emotion;

We take our leave, but the ocean stays with us still.

Indeed, let us not forget the stars in all their mystery;

By day they disappear, gratefully at night they reappear.

They come and go, leaving behind their enduring beauty,

Reaching down into our hearts to pierce them like a spear.

The image of the Grand Canyon as an image of wonder,

Left behind as a testament to the artful power of water.

Filling the onlooker with a resounding sense of thunder,

Sculpting curvatures of stone with the hands of a potter.

Ah, such symbols of grandeur take but minutes to behold;

Our gaze falls upon them meekly to witness timeless grace.

For eons, their sweet solitudes offer meaningful tales told,

Seen within the universe through the eye of the Divine Face.

- - - - - -

Copyright © John Herlihy

Sunday 25 April 2021