A drive through The Narrows,

To reach, a park of my heart,

Where a river flows through,

A lagoon at its center.

 

Happy times spent there,

Sunday mornings,

Hubby and I, hand in hand,

Our girls at our side.

 

Other times, picnics with friends,

Good eats, shared lives,

Laughter and love,

Once a Black bear sighting, oh my.

 

Solitary wandering, 

Camera in hand,

In a park of my heart,

 Offering itself, for me to admire.

Small creatures,

Bees, Honey and Red- tailed,

Butterflies, Dragonflies, Damselflies,

Pleasing Fungus Beetles and Spiders on violets.

 

Robins, Stellar Jays,

Magpies, old grouchy Crows,

Call it home,

In a park of my heart.

 

Lilies and berries,

Long willowy vines,

Cottonwoods, reaching for the sky,

Aspens that should not have scars.

 

A flower dresses in pinks and lime,

Wildflowers of many colors,

Memorial bouquets planted, remembrance of love ones,

This park, a park of my heart, loved by many. 

 

A river runs through it,

Usually gentle, calm,

Its presence marked by time,

Its strength, boulders small and large, at its side.

 

A river runs through it,

Creating melodies of sound,

Leaving notes of joy,

As it flows by.

 

Tall reeds leading,

To the lagoon at its center,

One can get happily distracted,

Sitting, gazing into these pools.

 

What will we all do,

Our hearts have been broken,

A drive through The Narrows, can’t be done,

I am sad, a park of my heart Is gone.

I took these photos and those I have been posting of my September 5, 2013 outing to Viestenz Smith Mountain Park.

This note from my dear friend Gale about the flood that has destroyed ~A Park of My Heart~. It is also a park of her heart.

From Gale: The metal you see is what remained of the hydro-electric plant that was devastated in the 1976 flood which crested at 9.31′ this flood crested the morning after this photo at 10.55′ – might not be much left…

Photos, of the flood, Gale sent as captured by reporters: