Swan Creek

We parked by the tracks and walked down to the tressel Wild asparagus spears the rocks along the ties We descend through thistle and nettles Alerting the grasshoppers and dragonflies

Our setter takes off like a rusty jet Chasing squirrels up trees as the birds take flight The evening cools as the sun prepares to set Walking with Dad always felt right

We hiked the trails along Swan Creek I knew every trail and tree and bend in the flow We enjoyed the peace with no reason to speak The only sound the crunch of leaves (or snow)

Around the horseshoe trail past the pond and reeds The ducks move along wary of our sight The raspberry thicket still buzzing with bees As locusts start to welcome the night

The evening sky reddens and shadows emerge Dad plucks a rye grass to chew and chooses a walking stick The dog shoots by us where the trails diverge Startling a pheasant in a bush near the crick

We near the bridge as a train rumbles across The engineer waves and blows the horn We reach the car just as sunlight withdraws I remember Dad and these days as I continue to mourn.

JArtB SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2019 12:13