(Cades Cove is in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.)

Morning comes to Cades Cove
Long before the tourist traffic
Congests its meandering one-way road;
Mists linger in a translucent veil,
Hugging the ground with cool dampness
As the sun's rays mark its first orange appearance
Over aged peaks.
The animals are relaxed,
Content in the early hours of the day
To go about their business:
The doe daintily picking at grass
While her fawn frolics nearby;
The flock of turkeys near the treeline
Scratching at bugs in last autumn's leaves;
And the vixen trotting by in search of mice,
Or perhaps a rabbit for her kits.
On the air is the faintest hint of woodsmoke
From the campground several miles away,
But mostly it's the herbally scents of trees and grass,
And fresh morning dew,
That welcome me and my camera.
I take it all in with a deep breath,
And a feeling of thanksgiving.