Scenes at a Woodland Lake

Approximately once or twice a week
Or anytime I get the chance to roam
I walk across a thin and shallow creek
And through the woods outside my country home

And once I pass this fence of mammoth trees
A grand and shimm'ring lake comes into view
Its gentle rolling waves put me at ease
As thoughtlessly I watch its waters blue

I see a flock of birds from where I stand
Descending from the sky to take a break
The ripples which flow forth from where they land
Disturb the glassy surface of the lake

At lake's edge one can clearly see the fish
That swim beneath the waves at such a pace
That one can barely see their tail fins swish
As with each other seemingly they race

Around the lake as well does life abound
With deer and foxes come to take a drink
With care I take a seat upon the ground
"How beautiful a day it is," I think

But in the distance I can hear a noise
That resonates from trees not far from me
I look and see a troupe of school age boys
Whose mirth disturbs the scene's serenity

Concerned, I watch this merry little band
As ev'ry single schoolboy stops and bends
Each takes a pile of stones into his hand
And starts to throw them at my woodland friends

So, horrified, I yell at them to stop
And risk bringing about more disarray
And as they let the stones from their hands drop
They laugh at me and start to walk away

And once again I find myself alone
The gentle calm reclaims its proper place
I listen to a creature's far-off moan
And lose myself in Nature's soft embrace

And hopefully one day they too will learn
That Nature is not just a giant toy
But, verily, in ev'ry leaf and fern
There lies a great and awe-inspiring joy

Notes: A winner in the 41st round of the Five Star Poetry contest.