Cazadero Moss
Beside a leaf-scattered trail
that winds beneath Douglas fir
and redwood, massive
granite boulders lie, almost a wall.
High, relative to a terrain
that continues to rise
above the valley below.
Moss covers the wall,
the crevices between boulders,
as if married to the wall.
A soft blanket of green
where fallen needles and thoughts
collect, thoughts of those
who have stopped to relish
the beauty of this moment,
any moment in this place.
A late response to earthweal weekly post: THE NATURE OF ENCHANTMENT, i am sharing this poem with earthweal open link weekend #88.
Photos: Cazadero Nature and Art Conservancy, in Sonoma County, California.
(click images for larger view in new tab)
My other Cazadero poems can be found here.
rivrvlogr 
This is hella good stuff, Ken. I was seriously digging the fine landscape artistry of Stanza 1, carried over to 2 when — WHAMMO — suddenly it’s needles AND THOUGHTS collecting, and the importance of savoring every moment.
What an outstanding turn and close. Thanks
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You’ve gathered the peacefulness of this place in your words. (K)
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An enchanting place indeed. I LOVE the great clumps of moss on ancient trees and am fortunate to live in an area where I see it often.
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Gorgeous – moss softens perception of the landscape even when there’s granite underlying. I like the notion of thoughts collecting in the moss (some of them poetic!)
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Thank you, Jazz. I wrote a few of poems while there in 2011, and nearly a dozen in the last seven years.
https://rivrvlogr.com/tag/cazadero/
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Where fallen needles and thoughts collect…. beautiful!
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🙂 Thank you.
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You’re welcome 🙂
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Lovely.
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Thank you.
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It sounds like a blissfully peaceful and enchanting place, Ken!
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Thank you, Ingrid. It is.
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Beautiful, Ken. It does sound like a place of peace and enchantment. I particularly loved: “as if married to the wall” and
“where fallen needles and thoughts
collect, “
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Sounds like a perfect place to collect your thoughts.
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That it is.
Thank you.
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Ahh, west coast forests are places to be, you capture the scene well!
JIM
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Thank you. 🙂
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