September 1, 2022

Nogal House

Indian Divide, New Mexico

Summer

Summer is making her passage and stepping softly towards fall,

She is walking slowly this year

The slight hum of the wind that speaks to colder days

Passing intermittently through my consciousness

Catching the corner post of the porch roof

Humming with a voice that speaks to colder days.

I feel the stirring in my bones today

Much as the elk do as their rut comes into play

But subtler, calmer and with a different purpose

For as the elk seek to perpetuate their existence

I am reminded of the importance of my survival

On a far more individual basis.

Instead the high long bugle from deep in the canyons

Will stir a different need

To stack wood and to secure the loose edges of my life

That I may hunker down in the safety of my nest

To build fires against the cold

And to feast on the stores of my efforts

The summers harvest and the gathered goods

That will see me through until spring.

I find in the study of that the most crucial elements

The peace of mind and stability

The strength of body and spirit

The inherent calm I have worked towards all my life

And I find it good and lacking for little

As summer makes her passage and steps softly towards fall.