Writing North Idaho

I  spent several hours  yesterday trekking back and forth across pine covered trails, and wooded land thinking about Writing North Idaho and what to write for todays blog.

I was blank, my thought process dry, nothing came to mind.  Over and over I kept asking myself,  what to write?  What to write?

 Let’s see. Maybe something about lyrics, limericks ,  or long form letters. While those topics interest me, they didn’t inspire me. No, not this day.  So I  continued my trek and walked some more, closer to the lake view, and our old log swing.  I sat for awhile and rested , while continuing to think about   Writing North Idaho,   until  Writing North Idaho   became  just north  Idaho, the bountiful and beautiful land all about me:

The majesty of age old trees

tall and upright,  like

guardians around the lake;

The soft, pale blue  sky

prettier than any pastel

painted by Renoir or Vermeer

and the quiet of peaceful

earth, unclaimed and free.

I began to contemplate the design of  nature,  and the acclaimed nature writers; John Muir and his Yosemite, Thoreau and his pond, Gifford Pinchot and his love for the forest,  and how their feel for words  bring the perfect  description  of flowers, and mountains and fields and streams to  enrich and elevate the reader to a place of peaceful reverie.


 Nature writing is about the environment, the care and respect of the land, it is also about the shear beauty and awesome creation of our Creator; a royal gift  to all of us to enjoy,  and cherish. Walking, and sitting in the company of so many big pines and white firs,  Joyce Kilmer’s most famous poem , Trees came to mind:

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair; 

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

If you have an interest in nature writing,  you might want to check out the two internet sites listed below. Both are filled with valuable information,  including how to keep a nature journal.

http://www.your-nature-journal.com/nature-writing.html

http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/eng385/natweb.htm  (Web resources on nature writing)


Postscript:  Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918) was an American journalist, poet, literary critic.  To learn more about Kilmer and his poetry visit :


http://www.risingdove.com/Kilmer/Trees.asp

http://www.everypoet.com/archive/poetry/Joyce_Kilmer/Joyce_Kilmer_contents.htm