Rubicon Creek
The cool wind stays steady
high in the trees reaching
down randomly into the fading
leaves like a wandering boy
striping branches in great
browning bunches into
the collapsing forest floor.
At nine one cannot know
that tea colored streams
will flow like arteries
through these cooling woods
from rampaging spring, through
the thunderstorms of summer, deep
into revealing fall, and
soon protected deep in ice and snow.
At nine I was prepared
with BB gun in hand
to cross into the
prohibited shadows
of Rubicon Creek.
Diving deep into the
dappled canopy to
traverse these quiet
summer waters, to face
the rumored home
of the poisonous water moccasin
hidden and hanging low
entangled in the dome
of dense green leaves.
In this forbidden place
there were no moccasins,
only the quiet August
light escaping through
the leaves; reaching toward
the shadowy water
that flows still;
over bright sand,
breaking shimmering pebbles,
and meanders of fallen trees.
Rose Lake
October 30, 2005
Greenfield Series
©2005 Rubicon Creek — Joseph W. Yarbrough
Reproduction prohibited without written permission.
high in the trees reaching
down randomly into the fading
leaves like a wandering boy
striping branches in great
browning bunches into
the collapsing forest floor.
At nine one cannot know
that tea colored streams
will flow like arteries
through these cooling woods
from rampaging spring, through
the thunderstorms of summer, deep
into revealing fall, and
soon protected deep in ice and snow.
At nine I was prepared
with BB gun in hand
to cross into the
prohibited shadows
of Rubicon Creek.
Diving deep into the
dappled canopy to
traverse these quiet
summer waters, to face
the rumored home
of the poisonous water moccasin
hidden and hanging low
entangled in the dome
of dense green leaves.
In this forbidden place
there were no moccasins,
only the quiet August
light escaping through
the leaves; reaching toward
the shadowy water
that flows still;
over bright sand,
breaking shimmering pebbles,
and meanders of fallen trees.
Rose Lake
October 30, 2005
Greenfield Series
©2005 Rubicon Creek — Joseph W. Yarbrough
Reproduction prohibited without written permission.