Sunday, August 22, 2010

The Great Lake

Unending surge and pull of her waters,

Sometimes crashing with carefree violence,

Her treacherous currents have deadly strength.

At other times lapping gently with healing

Constancy and power.

Always soothing and centering my soul.

Her breast is mounded golden sand,

Gleaming with crystalline magic.

Scattered treasures of polished stone

and weathered driftwood

Outshine the less savory relics of nature

that adorn her like a necklace.

Her shoulders loom protectively,

Cloaked with shadowed greenery

laced with malevolent ivy

and fragrant with cedar and earth.

Whispering wind through grass and leaf

harmonize with natures song.

The watchers glide above, graceful

and silent, shining impossibly white

and clean against the blue heavens.

Shedding all illusions as they return

with clamouring calls to scrabble

and rest upon her sands.
This poem was written by me, to honor Lake Michigan.  A major part of my childhood was spent on the beaches of this wonderful lake and I return to her shores as often as I can.  She renews my soul with every visit.

1 comment:

  1. I hear ya, Kathy! Having grown up in Milwaukee and currently living in a nearby suburb, I can't imagine NOT being near such a large body of water. Besides its awe inspiring beauty, the Great Lakes are considered to be more dangerous to sail on than the oceans. In fact there is an area off the tip of Door County (the tail of Wisconsin that sticks into Lake Michigan) that is aptly named Porte Des Morts translated Death's Door. And don't forget, it's always cooler by the Lake in the summer!

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