My parent’s mountain cabin
Hides a secret trail
Along a secret stream
A delicious escape from the dusty
Heat of summer
Cool spring water burbles
Over granite stones and boulders
Sand sparkles in the pools
Between fallen trees
Ferns grow tall along the path
Soothed by the light spray
And protected by giant pines
Bright green moss like
Fluorescent icing
Covers every surface
The trail leads up the mountain
Maintained by deer
And elk and coyotes
And rabbits and mice
And every other woodland
Creature we almost never see
At night the dusty heat gives way
To the cool breeze
Flowing down the mountain
Even entering my attic bedroom
In one window
And out the other
The secret stream still murmuring
In the darkest night
You’ve never seen.