She will always be
My little girl
Her love for me
As big as the sky
A special person
In my life
We are alike
In heart and mind
We cry together
We laugh together
We are always there
For one another
She is still my little girl
Now all grown up
She is that special person
In my life
You are blowing softly today
I feel you on my face
Like the caress of a loved one
You have come from far away
A breath of freshness
Hello trees
I hear you murmuring
Sounds like the one I love
Whispering in my ear
You are still standing
Though many have gone
Hello flowers
You brighten the forest
With your vibrant colors
Like a lady I once cherished
Hello stream
The sounds you make
As you journey through the forest
Gurgling and burbling carefree
To an unknown lake
Reminds me of my love
In happy moments
Hello sun ray
Filtering through the trees
You bring a ray of hope
For those who can’t cope
Of a long lost love
A cafe in hand
A chair beckons
A mountainous view
Off to the east
Darkening in the coming
Of the night
A refreshing cool breeze
Dispersing the day’s heat
The parrots have returned
To where ever they roost
The white plumed garza
Long since gone
The sky dark and threatening
Clouds a somber grey
A beam of light
Emerging from the clouds
To cast a golden ray
In a moment of glory
Over a rounded hill
As the clouds roll on
The light slowly fades
Darkness descends once again
The dogs gathered round
Their heads on paws
A kitten purring
Comfortably on my lap
Enjoying the cooling even
While I sip my cafe
Good Morning
Good morning sun
I greet you this day
I feel your warmth
You brighten the day
Good morning wind
You are blowing softly today
I feel you caressing my face
A breath of freshness
On this morning
Good morning trees
I hear you murmuring
Like a whisper in my ear
You are still standing
Though many are gone
Good morning flowers
You brighten the forest
With your vibrant colors
Gently nodding in the wind
Good morning stream
The sounds you make
As you journey through the forest
Gurgling and burbling carefree
To an unknown lake
Your water pure and pristine
Good morning sun ray
Filtering through the trees
You bring a ray of hope
To this new day
I rejoice in what
You all have given me
The feeling of spirituality
That can only be found
In the untamed wilderness
The feeling of peace and quietude
The glimpse of a small tent
Of orange and red
Among the dripping trees
I crawled out of the tent
To breathe the pure morning air
The smell of evergreens
The smell of the hardy cedar
Greets me before the dawn
The forest is filled with mist
Dawn has not yet come
It had rained during the night
A grey-blue light
Before the coming of dawn
Like a mysterious half light
Over the turbid waters
The song birds quiet this morning
The sky is lowering
Black clouds to the west
The sky to the east
A pale slate-blue
The only moving thing
Was the moving water
The shadows are lifting
From the rocky shoreline
Tree tops visibly green
The stark rocks begin to glow
Their colors warming to life
Still nothing moved
But the moving waters
The birds still silent
A warming sensation
Of the sun touching my face
The day has come
A dazzle of green, yellow and blue
The now singing birds
Bring joy to the forest
The rough bark of evergreens
Glistening black with wet
Gentle rollers from off the lake
Quietly kissing the craggy shoreline
The far horizon covered
In a heavy mist
The sun steadily dropping
The air still and humid
The scent of fish
Permeates the air
I am surrounded by rocky outcroppings
Jutting out into the lake
In a lonely cove
The sun still lowering
Into the fog of haze
The shoreline speaks
Of a violent past
During the era of volcanos
Black with a tinge of brown
Defining the rugged shoreline
The rocks jagged and broken
Evergreens struggle for survivor
In the rocky depressions
Cedar grows on the cliff edges
Stunted and twisted
In this harsh land
The rocks are worn
By the violence of wind and wave
Lichen, orange and grey
Cover these time worn rocks
There is clarity to these cold waters
A view into the depths not uncommon
The sun now behind
The heavy mist
There is now a darkening
In the evening sky
The rocks embolden in color
From the sun’s last rays
The warm evening light
Creates a glow
On the Cliffside evergreens
A yellow that is soon lost
The sun ever lowering
The soothing lapping of water
The cliff face lost in shadow
The sun has now disappeared
A touch of color remains behind
A glow of pink
Then the color red
Washes over the horizon
Darkness now descending
I slowly open my eyes
To the coming of morning
Sunlight streaming through the window
Dust mites dancing in the sunbeam
I put on my ole blue jeans
Stepping out into the morning
Hey, it’s a beautiful morning
Going up the mountain
Packsack slung over my shoulder
Stepping off the porch
With a jaunty stride
I make my way
To the nearby road
The mountain beckons in the distance
Hey, it’s a beautiful morning
Going up the mountain
Kitchen smoke is rising
From the local’s homes
As I walk the road
Plenty of smiles welcome me
As men and women pass me by
Jugs on their shoulders
Or pails in hand
Children with shy smiles
Playing on the road
Hey, it’s a beautiful morning
Going up the mountain
At roads end a trail beckons
Leading me to the river ford
The trail winds up the hillside
Emerging from the forest
The trail levels out
To a field of maze
Not yet ready to harvest
I travel the trail
Walking the fields edge
Hey, it’s a beautiful morning
Going up the mountain
The morning sun becoming warmer
As the trail goes higher
Reaching the next plateau
My route becoming harder
A herd of Granada step aside
As I pass on by
Barb wire fencing block my way
Tossing my backpack over the fence
I scramble on hands and knees
Under the barb wire fence
Grabbing my packsack, I move on
Hey, it’s a beautiful morning
Going up the mountain
The summit is near
The path becoming steeper
There is now a cool breeze
I make my way to an outcropping
To sit and observe
A land that is far-reaching
As far as the eye can see
Mountains tall in the distance
Clouds roaming over the mountains
Mist from the valley
I feel that mountain breeze
Hey, it’s a beautiful morning
Going up the mountain
There is something about
This mountainous country
Of mountains towering overhead
Highlands dot the landscape
Deep valleys slash the land
Mountains are like giants
I like a blade of grass
It is a humble feeling
Hey, it’s a beautiful morning
Going up the mountain
Sitting under the maple tree
The stars glittering through
The canopy of leaves
The moonlight awash over the valley
Every night I dream of you
Knowing you will never be there
Your face is slowly fading
Just a memory to remember
I think of you
I long for you
My eyes fill with tears
My heart is still aching
It is all I got
It is all I have
Is a memory of you
My cheeks tingle in sensation
Of a hand brushing my cheeks
Of the cool evening wind
It was two years past
On a cold November day
I lost control of the vehicle
On the black ice
When I looked at you
I knew you were gone
Holding you in my arms
For the last time
I think of you
I long for you
My eyes fill with tears
My heart is still aching
It is all I got
It is all I have
Is a memory of you
Standing by your grave
I wished you farewell
Tears falling freely
Thinking of our time together
Left a rose for you
A favourite of yours
A mist has covered
The valley before me
With the approaching dawn
The stars becoming faint
Like the memory of you
I think of you
I long for you
My eyes fill with tears
My heart is still aching
It is all I got
It is all I have
Is a memory of you
We pulled into the campsite
On a far northern lake
The turquoise blue waters
Of Martha Lake, Algoma
Shimmering around us
As expected our northern hosts
Were greedily awaiting our arrival
The blood thirsty mosquitoes
They are not called
The northern scourges for nothing
Blood is what they want
The first order of business
To set up the screen tent
This to be our place of peace
From the waiting mosquitoes
The mosquitoes are lining up
Waiting for their next victim
You
The next order of business
To erect the tent
With practiced precision
The tent is erected
The sleeping cots in place
Bedding is laid out
The bug coils are lit
To be placed in our shelters
I don my bug jacket
The barbeque and stove
Are now set up
The cooler of food
Locked in the vehicle
No need inviting unwanted guests
For an overnight feast
Namely the bloody bears
Peace and solitude reigns supreme
Not a soul in sight
It is nearing dust
The wind dying down
The lake becoming calm
The moon edging up
Casting a silvery path
On the lake surface
Darkness is at hand
Time to hit the sack
A small lantern hangs
From the tent ceiling
Revealing the mosquito hordes
Lined up on the tent screen
Crawling into my sleeping bag
The light now off
I lie there with eyes closed
Listen to the drone
Of the ever gathering swarm
I had the feeling
Of being the only victim
Within a hundred miles
I guess in the turn of things
We all have to survive
Thus I fell asleep
To the humming sound
Of the north woods mosquitoes
I must be a northerner
Ken Bennison's Photography 