I am delighted to introduce John Grey, an excellent poet! His soothing work brings the reader on a journey into a world of natural beauty. Please sit back, relax, and enjoy these wonderful glimpses into time that he has so adeptly put on paper!
AN AUSTRIAN HILLSIDE
Climbing the hill above the village,
just after sunrise,
sights grab at the eyes
from tangled hazel bush
to a bee swarm,
to bats retreating and songbirds emerging,
a hare’s warren, a fox’s den,
and cliffs of lime-crusted swallow nests.
And at the very top,
where the wind has first and final say,
they call it the place where the light begins.
*************
WHAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN
The mountains are too old
to do more than simply rise.
No more explosions.
No more spitting ash into the air.
I walk among the greenery.
No fear of uprising, no trembling,
in the ground I walk upon.
The drama dissipated long ago.
Ice ages, eruptions, quakes,
are very ancient history.
The earth around me is long retired,
tends its garden with simple grace:
oak and pine, maple and beech,
meadows of wildflowers.
This is holy ground -
not for its wrath, but for its peace.
And I, a pilgrim of stillness,
walk gently in its blessing.
John Grey is an Australian poet, US resident, recently published in Shift, River And South, and Flights. His latest books, “Bittersweet”, “Subject Matters” and “Between Two Fires” are available through Amazon. John also has work upcoming in Rush, Writer’s Block, and Trampoline. John can also be found on Facebook.