13 Above, Below

Watching the birds fly,
the sky burns red with lasting
flames, each one a sign,
forever radiating
past the scope of perception.

Below undercut
banks, fish swim toward hiding spots,
cool, dark, quiet homes,
fleeing the heat, seeking chill
of shade and needed safety.

Turtles play on logs
submerged in brown muck, casting
shadows on rippled
waters and lilies floating
among the frogs and minnows.

Above the water,
Undulating dragonflies
skim the surface to
hunt an unsuspecting prey:
delicate, irridescent.

Nature breathes new life
into ground as old as time.
Seeing hope live on
in everything that passes
above earth, below the sun.