The Hollow
In ev’ning’s restless twilight fall,
I’d steal away amid the flight
of creatures stirring to its call
or hast’ning to abodes of night.
I strode the lanes, as I was wont . . . … Continue readingThe Hollow
Reflections
There is no earthly domain so near the divine as the unsullied land at the very doorstep of the gods: the mountaintop wastes and wilds. Peopled only by their “lesser” children — the ants and pikas, ravens and goats, lichens and heaths — this rugged landscape is a realm of brutal dimensions, yet so cherished that its soaring pinnacles are first and last kissed by the Sun itself each day. Emulating this ethereal glory, human mortals may mount their conquering quests, yet merely ascend — and depart — on peril of Icarian wings. They are too tender, too frail to endure the savage beauty of these lofty climes. They may but foray into this formidable frontier and quickly withdraw to gentler habitations. It is here, among the creatures persisting on the very edge of the extreme and the extraordinary, that the order of the cosmos is revealed. Behold, O ye who venture hither: the height of human and floor of heaven!
© 2024 Anthony G. Colburn
Common Ground
Nature is a great equalizer. I’d like to say that my keen eye spied these tiny hummingbird nests expertly camouflaged amid the boughs overhanging the meandering waters of a nearby wildlife refuge, but in fact . . . … Continue readingCommon Ground
Eve of Darkness
Trudging up the frigid mountainside, my thoughts disquieted by the turning of a cruel human world, I could not help but eye the wan, winter daylight with a pang of trepidation at what tomorrow might bring. Near the summit, the last glimmers of sunlight scattered like embers . . . … Continue readingEve of Darkness
Touchstone
What cunning stroke could have split this boulder, yet left its halves stacked neatly ajar? From what larger rock had it been rent in an even earlier era? … Continue readingTouchstone
Remnants
At last, the listless woodland stream, spent by months of summer drought, fanned into a shallow lake, barely murmuring as it merged. At first glance, it seemed almost unremarkable. Almost. … Continue readingRemnants
Evening Rapture
One must wonder whether wildlings appreciate the grandeur of their surroundings, apart from their innate connection to their world. This grouse and another hen
were foraging amongst the autumn foliage shortly before . . . … Continue readingEvening Rapture
Crossroads
Perhaps I should have felt apprehension as these vultures swept about me, circling, dipping into the valley below, then swooping upward again . . . … Continue readingCrossroads
Gray Jay
Good day to you, good day, Gray Jay!
What do you, can you say today?
Not like your cousins, not at all,
who shriek and scold and fairly brawl;
not like you, no, to chatter so . . . … Continue readingGray Jay
The Wild One
Slowly, a young blacktail buck works his way along the coastal verge, nibbling the tender shoots that spring into light where weathered spruce gives way to ribbons of dunegrass. … Continue readingThe Wild One
COVID Kindness: Don’t Forget the “Social” in Social Distancing
I’ve always loved how jaunty little western fairy slipper orchids appear to grin so brightly from the trailside shadows at woodland passersby. As hikers, we, too, are used to greeting perfect strangers we encounter on wilderness trails (even if we aren’t so gregarious elsewhere) . . . … Continue readingCOVID Kindness: Don’t Forget the “Social” in Social Distancing
Land Acknowledgement: Social Justice Where Hiking Trails and Social Media Meet
Place names tell stories. They endure and evolve over generations, often holding clues to a forgotten past. Hiking around Washington, one encounters many place names that are clearly of Indigenous origin, but otherwise have little meaning to casual passersby or even lifelong local residents. … Continue readingLand Acknowledgement: Social Justice Where Hiking Trails and Social Media Meet
Saving the Lake Serene Trail: For Nature, People, and Communities
Great news! Thanks to the partnership of individuals, communities, and local organizations, the private property around the Lake Serene Trail has been purchased as hoped, saving the forest and habitat around the trail and preserving public access to this Pacific Northwest jewel. … Continue readingSaving the Lake Serene Trail: For Nature, People, and Communities