“A lake is the landscape's

Most beautiful and expressive feature.

It is the earth's eye;

Looking into which the beholder

Measures the depth of his own nature.”

Henry David Thoreau

It’s now nearly dawn on one of my favorite old lakes

A lake tucked very deep in northern pine forest land

Tater, my faithful old black Lab fishing partner and I

Soon head down to the dock, on a lake morning grand

A loud rippling splash swiftly breaks dawn’s silence

Tater and I wonder if it’s a hungry smallmouth bass

We jump into our little fishing boat, and we take off

Hoping for a day in paradise, that in memory, will last

We now head over to one of my favorite old fishing spots

It’s near some limestone rocks with ancient pictographs

Suddenly, I hear the voices of ancient spirits in the wind

Their presence here is soothing, and I hope that it will last

Soon, my fishing partner and I catch a few large walleye

And then we spot a wondrous osprey, above us, on wing

We both now watch, as she skillfully dives into the water

Then flies off to her young in the nest; breakfast she brings

As the sun begins to rise ever higher over this place in paradise

Good old Tater and I now get the urge to go for a very cold dip

Soon, the two of us are splashing all around in these blue waters

Ancient spirits, fish, wildlife, and a swim – it’s truly a marvelous trip

©On A Lake Morning Grand June 2013, Mr. Ed