And, here, after these many weeks, 

we are, sharing the log,

watching the nest, the creek running quietly

beneath our feet. Thank you for coming,

for breaking our isolation,

for letting me share my Eden,

my Shangri-la, and thank you as well

for your expertise

in giving names to the greenery.

It's true, we found no morels, and it's true

that the northern water snake

scared the bejesus out of us, but perhaps it's good

to be reminded that, after all, this is a wild place,

and beauty is just one aspect of it. 

~