MARC'S MEMOS

2/9/10

I just entered the Poetry Contest for March. I decided to submit a poem in prose form. I prefer to rhyme, but I thought I would experiment. I have done quite a lot of hiking in the parks and mountains around the Phoenix area since retiring. There is always a point on the hike at which I take a break. Usually it is at the highest point or somewhere near the top of the trail. Many times these vantage points offer breath-taking photo opportunities. Unfortunately, the magnificent views are sometimes less spectacular due to the pollution from the city. I wrote my poem about what I see on too many occasions. I hope you like it.

HILLTOP RESPITE

I gaze below from above the haze
Watching vehicles scurrying like little ants
Following one another to some unknown destination
Perhaps the city in the distance
High atop this precipice
Magnificent vistas are clouded by
Our presence in the world
Pristine mountains and valleys
Once known only to Mother Nature
Struggle to breathe under opaque skies of filth
Yearning for rain to cleanse the air
To gulp relief if only brief
Until the next shower

UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE! MARC