These photos were taken on one day in July 2013 at Lake Michigan. Bob and I had driven his motor home north, heading towards Ludington. I was the map captain, and I noticed a small park not too far north, between Ludington and Manistee. We followed the map and discovered a perfect little park. Set high above the lake, the parking was overlooking it. There is a picnic area, a trail leading through the vegetation and eventually to the water, and signs pointing to a campground (which we never got to, either by walking or driving.) We swore to each other we wouldn’t reveal the exact location, and we also swore that we would come back to this place and stay in the motor home. We never revealed the location. We never went back.
small sail
navigates within
large sky
a pebble-finned
beach shark is a
friendly greeter
tall shoulder
green fur
blue apron
beach fuzz
with a lavender
border
spring green in
midsummer
dances with snakes
a tireless journey ends
as ripples crack
the finish line
its brown-chipped
remnants of life
are still enriching
small sail
navigates within
large sky
a pebble-finned
beached shark is a
friendly greeter
tall shoulder
green fur
blue apron
beach fuzz
with a lavender
border
spring green in
midsummer
dances with snakes
a tireless journey ends
as ripples crack
the finish line
its brown-chipped
remnants of life
are still enriching
Lillian is today’s host of dVerse. Lillian says:
The TITLE of your poem should be a place: a city, a site, a place you’ve been. The title should be like a pin on a map….telling us where we’ll be traveling to. The POEM ITSELF should take us there. A travelogue of sorts. Imagery, description. Help us take a “vacation” with your words.
Tao Talk 
This is FABULOUS! I grew up in Waukegan, Illinois. It is right on Lake Michigan….almost to Wisconsin. My summer youth was spent on the rocks by the “no lifeguard” area of the Lake. At least once each summer my dad and I would rise at 4 AM and head to the pier to fish…pole fishing…none of that fancy stuff. We raised our kids in Iowa but went to Escanaba, Michigan and stayed in a cabin at Sandy Shores for 7 years running. Oh these photos are wonderful and take me there. I love every small poem with each photo….they’re just perfect! Hard to pick a favorite….but I think this one:
small sail
navigates within
large sky
It goes with the beautiful photo so well.
THANK you for taking me back to Lake Michigan! 🙂 Smiling I am and full of wonderful memories.
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So glad it took you back to pleasant turf from childhood with your family. My son went to school in the UP and we drove up to highway 2 and went across that way usually, but one time we came back the Escanaba way and thought it was so nice. Did you ever go to that crystal clear lake that has a glass bottom “conveyence” that you can use to pull yourself out into it? I never saw it but my friend posted about it and I always wanted to go back there and check it out.
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Great photos, Lisa, I especially like the driftwood, something I used to collect years ago. It’s such fun discovering places you didn’t know existed. I love your sequence of haiku and senryu. My favourites are:
‘small sail
navigates within
large sky’
because I love boats and we have plenty of them here on the Norfolk Broads
and
‘its brown-chipped
remnants of life
are still enriching’
because I love trees!
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Kim, thank you very much and so glad you connected with these places and things ❤
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Fantastic, Li. Your little verses like gems, so apt for each fabulous pic. Then they combine to make a lovely poem! For obvious reasons first pic and poem are my favourite! ❤️
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Punam so glad you enjoyed the verses and the photos, especially the sailing one ❤
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I sure did! Your words created such a mystery about this place. 🙂❤️
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We never revealed the location. We never went back… I especially love that part.. it makes the place even more perfect. It looks like paradise.
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I value your closer look. Yes it is, and yes, it is.
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Wonderful “snapshots,” both in photographs and in poetry!
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Thank you 🙂
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I like how the green vegetation dances with snakes.
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🙂 Thanks, Frank.
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Amazing photos. And a great poem.
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Sadje, thank you, glad you enjoyed them 🙂
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You’re always welcome Li
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Beautiful photos and lovely descriptive verses xxx
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Thanks, Bernie!
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😘😘😘
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So many ways to look at at this wonderful poem. Your explication starts out as a haibun, then each photo with it’s own haiku enriches the form, then the words themselves form another version; incredible.
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Glenn, thanks, very happy you like it as I’m happy to share it.
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Some think it’s necessary to travel to Europe to find adventure and beauty, but there’s so much of it right here in the United States. The great lakes are as majestic as the ocean. I loved the driftwood, by the way!
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Beverly you’re right about the great lakes. I like the mystery of the peoples, wondering who carefully gathered them, then left them on sharky.
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Lisa…that first picture… I didn’t know where the sky or water started or ended. Great pictures.
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Yes, Max, the sky was very strange that day. It looked like a wall of clouds joined the water at the horizon. Glad you like them 🙂
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Seriously…I thought I was looking at the water until I noticed it was the sky because of the sailboat…really cool.
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Spectacular, and the words add to the magic. (K)
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Kerfe, thank you. I’m making progress on the collage but I had to start over when the first attempt was a dismal failure.
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I know all about those. But many can be repurposed…
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Good idea. There is one part that turned out ok.
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The photos didn’t hurt ( 😉 ), but I felt like I was there with the words.
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What a nice thing to say, Ken. Thank you.
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🙂
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What a delightful collection of snapshots in words and pics of a special trip!
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Glad you enjoyed them, Kate!
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I really did, thanks Lisa 🙂
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This is beautiful Lisa! Love the little sailboat in the middle of the big lake! What a gorgeous setting. you could hide away there during all this time of separation!
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In a dream, for sure. Glad you like it, Dwight, thank you.
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Your poem is so inviting! Makes me want to go there!
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Thank you very much, Jan 🙂
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All those places we’ll go back to, and we never do. Maybe a perfect memory is better? I want to see those lakes for myself now – so beautiful.
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May be, Sarah. Thank you, and yes, everyone should see the lakes just once. I have to say I’m partial to “my” lake, but Lake Superior is a close second.
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beautiful post Jade!
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🙂 Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.
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