99poems/nasturtiums

NASTURTIUMS

I stop on my walk
to photograph nasturtiums,
grateful to be walking
the neglected part
of the trail,
so that I could
discover them.
It is my favorite path,
where the oaks bend low,
to keep their magic close.
I can hear the grebes
dancing across the lake,
I see an egret perched
on the dead tree, which
I can no longer get near
since last year’s rain.
It is cool still
and shady,
the perfect time
to photograph.
I gather fresh sage,
which I will
dry and burn,
to cleanse
my house.

5/25/99