Venturing into wild woods a declivity
Framed by sheltering trees and threatening thorns,
Through a quasi-undiscernible track past footsteps
Guide me to a rocky berm of pebbles galore.
Diverse shapes and colours build hypnotic structures
Monkeylike I toil on them to reach the gorge,
Where mountains brake crevices in primaeval rocks
Through which water flows, levels rise and drop.
Glimpsing at what nature conceals what is hidden
To the eyes of apathy my efforts are rewarded
I bathe in tepid torrents caressed by vigorous cascades,
An elegant hydromassage to my indulging body.
I dawdle further a path to discoveries
At every bend deeper and shallower basins a playground
To tiny grey fish unafraid of me they inspect
My skin little bites as gentle as the softest kisses,
Chasing spotted shadows reflected by dots of dust
Surfacing the stream perhaps taken for food crumbs
While bubbles of oxygen they swallow and spit
Remerge turning me into an extempore biologist,
An observer encountering marvels it will comprehend
My emotions attuned to the aquamarine riverscape
I gaze at dragonflies engaging in seduction rituals
Azure purple and red quivering wings it is crystal
They seek an of the hour paramour, ceaselessly,
While lizards circumspectly approach the banks
To drink flee back to their lair at the slightest commotion,
Hypnotic emerald eyes a tabanus pauses on my knee
Yet I don’t feel the menace as it seems
It is simply looking at me, with the same fascination
I am gaping at it, realising to my stupor and cherishing
The natural harmony amongst all creature here,
Naively oblivious to the many fish cadavers
That will remain stranded on the course
Once waters will run dry in a month time.
[Featured photo: Rocchette di Fazio, Gole nell’Albegna, Tuscany, Italy]