Nocturnal Reflections

NOCTURNAL REFLECTIONS

Waves caress the rocky shore
Of jagged stones, eroded by time
The canoe drifts regally, owning the lake
This hour, this moment, becomes mine.

Fireflies tease and twinkle, almost within reach,
A patchwork of moss blankets part of the beach.
The air smells of rain, forthcoming perhaps,
A distant, faint rumbling of thunder has passed.

The dip of the paddle gently stirs the lake…
Listen! Twilight's sonata bids us to partake
Of flora and fauna, birch bark and logs,
Driftwood worn smooth; bulrushes, frogs.

The splash of water, startling, in the dusk,
Pungent pine trees, permeating their musk.
Acrid smoke from a campfire wafts over the waves
Whose buoyancy fills the shadows, the caves.

Ancient, gnarled trees, bristling in the breeze,
Sighing their myriad of memories
Accompanied by a legion of loons
Eerily moaning; while under the moon…

The water's chill embraces cool, bare skin,
I am at peace, no struggles within, and I begin
To drift in rhythm with the calming waves,
Tranquillity soothes the previous days.

A faint splatter of stars begin to appear,
Time has no meaning, I have no fear.
On my lips, the sweetness of a marshmallow kiss…
There can be no night better than this.

Waves lazily hug the canoe
The night is now dark, but I am not alone
Night's music surrounds me, peace fills my heart
As I paddle my soul home.

Maria Harden
©2001

Story ID:	247
Written by:	Maria Harden (bio, contact, other stories)
Story type:	Poem
Location:	Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
Year:	2001
Person:	Maria