Discovery

In a green hollow, the river rushes
On its way down the mountain to the sea,
Over rocks and boulders water gushes
And with a gentle roar it welcomes me.

Crystal-clear pools beckon me to enter,
Up to my ankles my bare feet go numb.
Further out I go, to the cold center
Refreshed, I wait for whatever will come.

If I am quiet, I might see a deer
Come out of the woods to the water’s edge
Or a black bear and her cubs may appear
Out from behind a mountain laurel hedge.

The air is thick with a soft humid fog
Floating through the forest like a spirit
My chilled feet step onto a mossy log
And as I cross, I begin to hear it –

No cars, no airplanes, just river tinkling
And wind blowing in the forest so tall
I don’t even mind rain that is sprinkling
As I spy my first mountain waterfall.

© 2006 Dana Sieben

Deluge

Deluge
Nature's passion.
Swollen rivers
Running overindulged to the sea
Which grasps at the shore in a frenzy-
In…out...in…out.
Floodwaters rise in the furor of the night.
The wind rages, flaunting its power,
Finally spending itself in
Early morning.
The world is gray...quiet.
The bay-
A nature-made mirror-
Reflects the fog, which hovers
Then merges with the low clouds
Before daringly drifting to the surface
Of the mirror and seeing itself.
Barely touching...
Softly meeting-
Like a tongue lingering on bare skin.

© Dana Sieben

* originally published in Long Story Short, June 2005