ARISEN SPIRIT OF THE PINES  (dawn, my 4th 'Spirit of the Pines' retreat, at Lake Livingston, Texas)

 
serene dawn  
quietly awakens  
as soft  fuzzy  
peach light  
gently lifts  
the lingering veil  
of nights  
diminishing darkness  
into pale  blue  
newness  away  
above the tranquil  
silhouette  
of pine topped  
rolling hills    
beyond  
the eastern shore  
across this  
still  
sleeping lake  
looking up  
tall pines  
and oaks  
seem to soar  
above me  
backlit across this  
cool  fall    
morning sky  
the expansive lake  
itself  
a cool  fluid  
mirror  
of silver peace  
reflects the light    
of rising sun  
so beautiful    
before it    
even comes  
its soft    
peach light  
soon brightens  
to gradually ripen  
into a lusher  
waking  morning sky  
of burning  
mango orange  
as a great  
white heron  
stands before me  
down along  
this stirless lakes  
shallow  
still dreaming shore  
motionless  
upon one leg  
in elegant  
zen like silence  
atop a fallen    
tree branch  
extending vertically up  
out of  
the peaceful water  
up above his  
regal  mirrored  
reflections  
visual echo below  
between  
he and i    
along this shore  
through a foreground  
stand of reeds  
parallel lines  
of small  glassy  
ripples  
in effortless silence  
roll subtly in  
appearing to  
have arisen  
up from out  
of utter stillness  
as no boats  
bow  
has plied  
this peaceful lakes  
virgin calm  
nor crossed her  
lovely face  
this early morn  
so far    
except for  
loving wake  
from golden bow  
of rising suns  
sweet  burning orbs
fluid reflection
as it escapes  
the eastern    
tree line  
in lateral rays  
of blinding light  
that pierce  
and bathe  
everything here  
within this stillness  
around me  
with its long  
radiant  
diaphanously  
illumined blades  
now slicing through  
the slumbering  
tree tops  
with what remains  
of nights    
increasingly  
dwindling darkness  
still passively  
clinging on  
in broken    
gray mosaics  
of quickly    
fading shadows  
upon the forest  
floor behind me  
down below  
which even now  
recedes    
as every cool  
hidden place  
is slowly consumed  
by the light  
of this    
new day born  
lovingly buttered in  
by its living  
gold    
as natures  
true colors  
begin to emerge  
and take flight  
through all my  
excited senses  
right into  
my open souls  
own blissfully  
awakened elation  
so joyously reborn  
to day    
and life  
to all within  
this sacred oneness  
here again  
at wondrous  
last