Green River strolls lazily along,
Draws me onward
Only forward, 
No going back.
Layers of emerald canopy glisten,
Diamonds pressed from a
Light and momentary storm.

Muddy path meanders, sometimes
Near the river, others not,
Falling, rising again,
Tracing undulating hills.
Is there a destination or
Only wandering?
The river seems to know
Where it’s going.
Why not the path?

Gentle whisper—
Is it water? Breeze? Rain?
Soundless river, motionless leaves,
No drips in the puddle before me.
My ears do not betray the
Voice speaking to me.
I lean into the not knowing.


I lose my way a few times, but
Then I am found again.
Grace, signposts.
Slippery trail has
Knocked me down, but
Each time I get up.
Green, glistening woods are
Worth being muddy and bruised.
There is a destination after all—
My true love
Calls my name from 
Just beyond the edge of the woods, and
Off I go.

David K. Carpenter
June 6, 2021

Photos taken in the woods along the Green River as it winds its way through Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky.

All images Copyright © 2021 by David K. Carpenter Photography
Poem Copyright © 2021 by David K. Carpenter
All Rights Reserved