Dog Lake Trail

Striding through open meadows
over slab granite
to push up along
a western slope of pine ridge.

Loose rock
or rock half buried

late sun
stretching long through shadows
red on dry needles
sliver on log bark
gold on winter grass.

Down a north east hollow
to crunch across
blue ice snow
creek frozen solid
bite of pine breath

pause

heart pounding

warm
amidst silence

Bear Country

distance deep mountain wind.

Another rise
the lake opens out
behind silhouettes of trees
thin ice
to distant sun shore
lines of yellow grass
and small evergreens,

east
white granite
and red volcanic peaks.

12 December 1976