“Earth and sky, woods and fields,
Lakes and rivers, birds and animals,
They are all excellent schoolmasters;
And they teach some of us much more,
Than we could ever learn from books.”
John Lubbock
I woke to a cold, snowy, January morning
It felt right, for a journey back through time
So, I hopped in my truck, with two of my dogs
And we headed to a place, both sacred and sublime
This place is called Starved Rock, it’s on the Illinois River
A sacred place, to Native Americans, for thousands of years
A group of natives under attack, fled to its top, and died here
In this place of such ancient beauty, in this place of many tears
I first traveled here, as a young Boy Scout, learning of its ancient history
And, throughout the years, I have continued to journey here, for its beauty
I’ve camped, and fished, and explored its many acres of canyons and forests
And, it’s still a marvelous place to observe Bald Eagles that gather in the trees
Each and every Spring, Starved Rock’s wondrous waterfalls spring back to life
Each Summer, its lush green forests are host to so many marvelous songbirds
In Autumn, I have journeyed here to observe the glorious colors of the season
And in Winter, I find its sparkling white beauty, very difficult to describe in words
But like so many other magnificent ancient wonders in our nation, these days
A group of politicians eagerly want to let foreign mining companies, drill here
I thank God I experienced so many natural wonders, before they are destroyed
And on this snowy January morning, as I gaze at this ancient place, I shed a tear
For I know that an active mining operation here, will decimate this wondrous place
The peace and serenity now found here, will be replaced by massive dynamite blasts
The lovely sounds of songbird and waterfall, will be replaced by diesel-belching trucks
The Bald Eagles will vanish, and another American Treasure, will be a thing of our past
I awoke to a cold, snowy, January morning,
It felt so right, for a journey back through time;
And I hopped into my truck, with two of my canines,
To re-visit a place, that in my soul, is sacred and sublime.
©January 2012, Mr. Ed
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of this wonderous place into words...although a very
sad situation will be developing!!
Lady Vivian
Hope they don't destroy this magnificant land.
Lady Mary Ann
Anna
Good write to shake up the balance a bit...Enlightening.
Peace, love and light,
Amber