Photo taken on December 8, 2020 on a prebirthday trip to hike at Pilot Mountain and then a day spent in Mt. Airy, famous for “The Andy Griffith Show.”


The Pinnacle

I have walked the perimeter
of Pilot Mountain,
surveyed the high rock wall,
seen Peregrine falcons
soar above it,
watched for sightings
of ravens and vultures
who build their nests upon it,
lines of white mark the spots.

I have strained my eyes
across the countryside,
the landscape of both
farmers’ fields and strip malls,
the fertile Yadkin River Valley below,
the vibrant cityscapes on the horizon beyond,
a mountain range now gone,
only this one remaining,
the “Pinnacle” marks the spot.

I have witnessed
the destruction of wildfire,
marveled at the renewal
set in motion,
new needles rising from blackened trunks,
wildflowers and mountain laurels
once suffocated under an
accumulation of dead debris,
now flourishing,
green marks the spots.

For one directionally challenged,
knowing that the sun sets
in the west
yet not knowing which way
to guide my eyes
until the sun queues up
for her descent,
I make my way round
with no preordained markers,
each visit a new discovery.



Poetry by Melinda K Zarate The PoetBay support member heart!
Read 12 times
Written on 2026-04-25 at 22:02

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