Drag Lake Late Autumn Walk Poem by Deanna Samuels

Having a few days visit to Drag Lake at Halliburton
Took advantage of the glorious day
Sky was brilliant blue, not a cloud to be seen
A keen wind had blown up earlier that morn
Enough to rile the lake water into wavy ripples
Donned boots and double layer warm clothing
Out of the cottage I go, my walk had begun

The road proved a little rougher than had foreseen
Muddy here and there, gravelly, loose stones
Rough and unmade with sunken wet patches
That was no deterrent, no deterrent at all
Sun shone on Drag Lake casting reflection through trees
While the wind whistled through the autumn woods
Enough to rustle the last lingering stemmed leaves

Walking on the now inclined gravel muddy road
Lakeside cottages, almost invisible amid the forest foliage
Quite a distance away with treed driveways to their doors
Now, the wind, this distance from the lake, had calmed
The surrounding forest was quiet and serene
Most of its trees were now bare boughed, leafless
Heaps lay beneath, piled on forest floor, brown and crisp

Rocks and boulders of Canadian Shield plainly visible
Rising from the leafy boggy ground surround
Their nakedness covered over with soft green mosses
While a trickling brook ran sluggishly alongside the road
Surrounded by spent fluffy wild flowers and green ferns
Overlooked by impressively tall thin denuded maple and birch
Reaching heights over and above neighboring firs and pines

Heading now, back down the unmade gravelly muddy road
Was able to see, ponder the cottages hidden behind leafy masks
Many were large, luxuriously positioned with grounds well kept
A few cottages were much smaller, older, almost ram shackled
Further along road, old hewn logs were slowly breaking down
Heard a faint distant whinny of horse; a bird suddenly squawking
Lastly, saw small craft slip way into Drag Lake; then back to base.

Written at Halliburton, Ontario - 28th October 2021