of Redwood Groves and Fern Canyons

 
The breath of the Pacific rolls in slow across
the interior mountain coast
mountains disguised in Granny Witch eyes
that lace through old growth
Redwood groves and Fern canyons in moist cold-
down below the below-

hidden-stoically standing-roots entangling-
the clan and family
in thin steeps and deep ravines
of Fog and Fall outlining the trees
a flash of an Osprey is seen-diving into the
clear Smith river free-

running unimpeded from the Siskiyou's
into California’s lush dream
flowing on an emerald bed of glass
raw and wildly free
cascading cataracts in raging energy
sweep the rocks and
banks clean
in falling gold and amber dreams
that faithfully float on a dying breeze

that breathes filtering air continuously circling
in an atmospheric sea
misty glazed Monarchs float gracefully
on the gentle life laden stream
that remembers the Paleo days of
the Redwoods faded dreams

yet they stand tall-and strong against the
battering Pacific winter storms
that rage and scrape the exposed raw coast
of abandoned debris and logs
scouring the beaches clean
where Sea Lions lounge and Terns scream

somehow my heart is entangled once
again and I breathe
in the wonder of standing ‘neath their canopy
of unchanged drooping green
and I know for a brief moment I’m surrounded
by my family of trees

along the sands-spit
that divides the rivers broad mouth
from the Pacific that sweeps in and out
their nutrients upon tides
that move in between-the- betweens-
where steelhead and salmon await
their turns to proceed

in their last migrating pass that takes them
all back home again
as they slowly fade and make
their way to die-
beneath the Redwood trees


Noguest
Reflection on my favorite place
Del Norte Nat Forrest S fork of the Smith River , California © 6 months ago,