Passing By

I paused my walk of a hillside path
    To catch the morning glow,
A distant crest with promised sun
    And valley spread below.

Close by flowers of yellow and red
    Dispersed in fields of grass
Gently swayed belying the breeze
    Stiffened by springtime's grasp.

My eye lulled first on those nearby
    Then rose above the crowd
Where colors flowed and, blending as one,
    Showed less bold and loud.

Contented, I left my mind at ease,
    Unfocused eyes to stare,
With naught but feel the hand of God
    Through my tousled hair.

Suddenly, in flurry of wings and wind,
    A covey of panicked quail
Exploding in flight from unseen peril
    Startled me from my spell.

When next I looked the sun's full bloom
    So reigned in blinding splay,
The tranquil scene before now gone,
    I turned and walked away.