Afternoon

[goldenmyst]

Sunlight blinking through fern fronds
Hanging from red clay walls
Water trickling down chute
Falling lyrically into oval pool
Droplets splashing melodically into tea colored water

Memories rising like mists from the depths of time
Children sliding down wet clay, whoosh
Sinking toes into soft moist soil
Feeling squishy mud caress soles of feet
Dank smell of leaves decomposing in liquid
Cool drafts of air breezing across my brow
Sprinkled with body dew in summer swelter
Tangled vines draping across gaping chasm

Sun creeping higher into morning blue sky
Crow cawing high in treetops
Lazy frog plodding across wet leaves
Decades sliding by in surreal procession
Incipient awareness of my aging body
Lost years of solitude
Endless parade of shattered dreams
Acknowledged and then let go of
Familiar faces grown hazy in the minds eye
Many long gone from this earthly realm

Forest peace settling over me
Opiate of woodland serenity lulling me into reverie
Sun penetrating skin with soothing heat
My face illumined in golden afterglow of happy memories
Bliss of love recalled bringing soft smile
Ageless beauty of ancient rhythms of nature
Surrounding me in timeless magic
Gnarled roots of trees
Intertwining with each other
In exquisite nature tapestry
Vision of hope
In this afternoon of my life

[constantine]

beautiful work john. lyrical and gentle. i've always admired your style.

[Lightning Rod]

yes, your poetry is gentle

(here is a challenge, john: write a poem that uses no 'ing' words and never uses an 'of') see what happens

[mnaz]

tactile... you "zoom in" well, while i've tended to "zoom out" the last few years. like a forest/desert thing maybe...

[goldenmyst]

Constantine, gentle is a great complement.

Lightning Rod, always giving good poetry writing advice.

Mnaz, yes the wide open vistas of the desert lend themselves to zooming out. Thanks dude!

John