An Okanagan Valley landscape,
sage-filled hillsides, tranquil smooth peaks,
rapid-water gorges, blooming vineyards,
soothing friendly forests, rippling clear lakes,
and stone-infused creeks,
the aroma of a blossoming lilac shrub,
snowberry plants blooming near the creek,
dancing in the breeze.
On a ridge, flowering balsam roots
against an Okanagan Lake backdrop,
bees dipping from one flower to the next,
the small creatures, the yellow warblers,
the ants, completing the daily tasks
that their instincts and survival demand.
A hidden path explored, leading to a
grassy field of Ponderosa pines,
their vanilla fragrances and
jigsaw-puzzled exteriors
tickling the senses,
the rush of a raven’s wings,
startling in the silence of the forest,
a deer watching my hiking activity
with cautious interest, one leg raised,
ready to flee.
I am standing on a peak now,
steadying my breath,
watching the clouds below
drift down through the valley,
like a marshmallow stream.
