The crickets’ sigh

Lily pads
between earth and sky,
hovering over the waters
of a clear summer in July.

The carpet spread out,
green coasters with white flowers
that sprout, reach upwards
to greet the dawn.

Every morning
this path leads the way
to and from a beaver’s dam,
underneath and on top of
the floating, soggy moat
where cattail dreams never capsize
and frogs chase passing mosquitoes,
while dragonflies drift on the breeze.

As the setting sun
collapses into the sink
comprised of a pond
just shallow enough
to dig your toes in
and walk around
the algal blooms
without holding
your breath,
you’ll find the world
is softer here.
Amid a land of jagged lies –
remember, the only truth
resides in nature.
Listen to the crickets’ sigh.

poem and photo from ‘Nostalgia, Naturally’
by Tyler Pedersen, Copyright 2007