PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

We took a guided hike through a park last night…a beautiful natural preserve.

and in the dark it is amazing…all the things we could observe.

As the crickets serenaded us…at an alligator on the bank we got to peek

while we heard mudpuppies just under the surface…dancing in the creek.

Through narrow sand-covered pathways in the quiet we did tromp

under tall  oak covered canopies…then on to wooden boardwalks over swamps.

We saw a phosphorescent scorpion…listened for owls…hoping to see one soar…

and learned how gopher tortoises lay their eggs

in a hole just outside their front door.

Oaks, slash and long-leaf pine trees…we greeted them as we passed

and learned of their unique relationships with each other…the water…and the grass. 

On a clear night when we looked up through the treetops

we could see the twinkling of the stars….

and in a line waving down at us

were Venus, Saturn, Jupiter…and Mars.

On the final part of the hike…they let us walk alone in silence….

accompanied only by an evening breeze

and as the crickets continued to serenade us

they were joined by the whistling of the trees.

On this beautiful night hike we were reminded

how each part of nature is important for all of nature to survive….

and where we saw from the shadows how all of nature cooperates

to keep itself alive.

It was a magical night where we got to experience the balance of nature

in a beautifully preserved park….

spreading out before us in all its splendor…

once our eyes became accustomed to the dark.

May we be blessed to be more like nature…

filled with peace

beauty

and diversity

able to enjoy life’s complexities

and well as her simplicity

I believe the indigenous first people were correct in their thinking

as across this land they roamed:

How nature is not a place for us to visit

It is a place we should call home.

May every person be blessed to understand

The feeling a walk in nature will always increase

That there will always be peace in beauty

And where will always be beauty in peace

I love art museums with any kind of art…big or small.

I love to see the abstracts, the portraits, the landscapes hanging on the wall.

I suppose that’s why I love nature so much…

It’s also filled with many kinds of art…big and small.

but nature’s museum is unique…for it has no walls at all

In fact a simple walk in nature…looking around at all its wonders of creation

and you get a good idea where human artists get their inspiration.

From landscapes, sculptures, portraits, trees, flowers, animals- art so realistic… 

to when the fog descends and that same world becomes art…impressionistic.

You stop and wonder at all the art and the more you cogitate…

you realize you are walking through what artists only re-create.

Take the paper wasp for instance…they mix wood fibers and plant stems with their instinct, saliva, talent and heart

And not only do they build a nest but…they create a work of art.

If you look at paper wasp nests…you too will come to know

how wasp artists are as creative…as say…Michelangelo .

Some of their nests are impressionistic- like Monet, each a treasured piece

Some are more surreal like Dali…some more abstract like Matisse

Yet paper wasps are only one school of artists in the nature that surrounds…

What’s fun about nature is all the other artist waiting to be found.

What makes nature’s museum unique however…is not only her wide variety.. 

that she contains every kind of art you want to see

but with no walls…nature’s museum is always open…

and even more amazing…she is always free.

May we be blessed to find joy 

in the simple beauty of nature

In everything we hear and see:

From the marvel of a single drop of rain

to the miracle of the ladybug, the butterfly…the bee

From the beauty of a sunset

to the wonder of mushrooms growing on a fallen log

From the vivid colors of the rainbow

to the misty splendor of the fog

How blessed are we to have nature as our teacher

although her biggest obstacle

 which leads to her biggest concern

is how even the greatest teacher cannot teach

those who are unwilling to learn.

I was out in Deborah’s garden the other day when what should catch my eye

flitting from flower to flower but a monarch butterfly.

A walk through Deborah’s flower garden is brimming with surprises…

Like when that monarch was joined by other butterflies of all colors, shapes and sizes.

Nature is always trying to teach us…for she is experienced, enlightened and wise…. 

and her most basic lessons are being taught to us…by her butterflies.

Like how nothing is ever permanent…no matter in what stage we’d like to stay

We…and everything around us…all change a little every day.

Like how knowing all life is fragile…once our delicate wings have finally unfurled

we should treat everything with gentleness as we add our beauty to the world.

Like how all butterflies share the flowers…no butterfly is rich…no butterfly is poor…

Like how you never see a butterfly carrying a weapon…or marching off to war.

The average butterfly lives only two weeks…they have only two weeks to try and reach us

which means they cram a lot of material in the lessons they try to teach us.

Nature knows we are not fast learners however…so she has found a way

to keep a kaleidoscope of butterfly teachers constantly coming our way.

I hope one day we will have learned their lessons…

that we too will be experienced enlightened and wise….

It’s a dream that I’ll keep dreaming…

as long as there are butterflies.

I stopped to admire the stars this morning long before my walk was through.

When the moon has set and the sky is clear it’s something I often do.

As I stood there gazing up…there…in the blink of an eye

I saw a shooting star streak across the sky.

I often look for shooting stars and, I imagine, you’ll agree…

It’s ironic on a night I wasn’t looking how a shooting star found me!

Seeing a shooting star is magical as it flashes then disappears without a trace.

So I took a moment to remember all I could about that time and place. 

I was standing next to a magnolia tree…

it’s one bloom in the morning breeze swayed.

And I wondered if that bloom refused to close last night 

or was getting a head start on the day?

I heard a night owl hoot…her song crisp and clear and clean.

And I wondered since she’s up at night…

how many shooting stars she’s seen?

I didn’t ask the owl about it…or the magnolia tree.

Sometimes with the magic of nature…it’s best to let it be.

No, I was content for the three of us to sit back and admire

one of life’s evanescent moments that flash briefly…then expire.

A reminder of how each moment when it arrives is significant in its own way

Beautiful and vital for but a moment before it quickly fades away.

It was a moment like no moment ever was…or ever again will be…

and I felt blessed to share that moment with an owl and a magnolia tree.