A guest post BY ROBERTA HUTCHINSON
Roberta Hutchinson took a hike at Butano State Park for the first time and came home feeling so inspired about the quiet lush beauty that she wrote this poem:
Butano State Park, photo © Michael Carl
Forest Walk
Take me to the redwood forests of ancient years
Where I can feel my feet on softly padded trails
Let me remember to look upward and pause
To think of so many years these trees have lived before me
And be grateful I can touch these ancient giants
I long for patience to hear the sounds the forest holds
and to still my soul to hear the trees
My ears listen to the sound of water
softly running in the canyon and talking many tongues
and wonder what meandering paths will it take
Butano State Park © Kathy Schrenk
How sweet to see the clarity of the forest stream
moving slowly over colored pebbles and stones
I stop under a tree and look down
to see a a wild young fish
living out its wildness in such a creek
The cool mist of fog rolls over the trees
and the chill suddenly brightens my step
I grow tired now with the long walk
and wish I could grow young again
to walk forever in this redwood forest of ancient years.
– by Roberta Hutchinson 7/31/2012
Roberta Hutchinson is a retired travel agent who still loves traveling and nature photography. She has always enjoyed hiking in our California state parks and several years ago got the opportunity to lead a hiking class in the Mountain View/Los Altos education system. Now she has the fortune to share these beautiful parks with others.
Thank you to Roberta for sharing her poetry! Do you have any park-inspired poetry?
Remember a song (originally a poem) which begins, “I think I shall never see, a poem lovely as a tree…”