Riches
I know where wild forget-me-nots wade along the edge of clear running water –
Where a great blue heron stands at sunrise.
I have listened to the first spring peepers and have counted the varied and tender
greens of spring, from pale of willow to dark of pine.
I have walked on pine-needle carpets and on spongy green moss
In sunlight and shad – I know a woodland pool
hidden from sight by giant ferns,
Where mayapples unfurl their green umbrellas
beneath a stone lantern
and the small face of the hepatica holds a drop of blue sky.
I have uncovered the damp sweetness of arbutus,
And felt the south wind brush across my face
bearing a hint of rain and flower gardens.
I have seen the scarlet tanager in the topmost branches
of the tulip tree, and the marsh wren in her house beneath the lemon lilies.
I know a pond at evening where ducks trail silver threads
In their wake, trout jump, and fireflies appear above the water.
I have seen the whippoorwill silhouetted on a dusky sky
And heard his song of summer magic –
And standing in bright moonlight watching shadows cast by giant pines
I have felt the mystery of heaven and the joy of earth –
And I know what I know –
These are the things to remember.
Katharine G. Shelly