The Mountain Road – Wildlife Along the Way
The mountain road and its twists and turns
Like a concrete river cutting through forest and stone
Shaded valleys still holding the last breath of snow
Tiny colors emerging against the shades of green
And the songs of summer just beginning to play
Each day there’s the little change
Caught for just a moment along the way
Most miles passed in silence except for tires humming
Or the occasional meeting of passing cars
Most folks take this for granted
Never even bothering to watch the natural world
How the mountains rise in layers beyond the windshield
Black at first, then brown and green
Then orange granite where the cliffs caught sunlight
It’s something every eye should see
The hawk appeared first, majestic wings riding a current of air
Slowly crossing my field of vision
Keeping pace as I wound up that twisted lane
Watching the world below with the patience of a hunter
A creature that has never once worried about a deadline
Responding to an email or being late to the office
Such simplicity spoken without a single word
It vanished over the ridge as suddenly as it came
And for a while the silence returned.
Then came the deer, one, two, then many
Skittish, heads turning, right at the edge of a meadow
Half-hidden in the tall grass still wet with the morning
Two fawns slipped between their mothers
Brave perhaps, yet small enough to still look uncertain
Legs still a bit shaky for that one suspended second
Slowed, gave plenty of space, and drove past
Nodded as if the recognized me
Watched them cross in my review mirror
Safe again, at least for another day
The peak was in my sights
Snow still thick on the barren rock
Clumps of towering trees, branches still bowed
The scent of pine spoke of forgotten eras
A bull moose peered at the highway
Fur as dark as wet bark, massive enough to seem unreal
He watched from the tree line, but not waiting to cross
Just existing, living in this world
Where machines and roads are woven into the landscape
And yet unconcerned
Up and over the pass, the road tighter, more twisted
Slower, taking care, avoiding the rocks on the road
Their bodies gave way to motion
Mountain elk moving as one
Breath rising pale into the warming air
Not hurried, not frightened, simply continuing on
Through a world that still belonged to them, at least for today
Now the dangerous parts, where stone falls to forever
Asphalt suspended on posts of steel and stone
Eyes no longer wandering on what lies on the sides
Focused on the road, and the dropping elevation
The feeling of quietness emerged once again
Road sounds and the understanding
That somewhere beyond these guardrails
Beyond the light posts and campgrounds
The old world still moves beside us
Eyes watch from the trees, bodies resting in the brush
Nervous herds crossing lonely roads at dusk and dawn
Never asking permission from anyone
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