Friday, July 24, 2009

The Lake

22.jpg lake image by imperialgunner

 

The Lake

 

Lakes are the holding places

For water

As the fireplace

Is the holding place for fire,

As the plaza is the holding place for people. 

 

LakeMcDonaldGlacierNationalParkMont.jpg Lake McDonald image by lilmissmontana

 

I know a lake in the mountains. 

My heart is the holding place,

My heart is the keeping place,

For the things I know

About the lake in the mountains. 

 

Always will I keep

In my heart

The things that belong there,

As lakes

Keep water

For the people.

 

……….Ann Nolan Clark

photos from www.photobucket.com.  click on photos for links

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

God's country....

Suecae Sounds said...

Beautiful....

Anonymous said...

Beautiful pictures and beautiful words.

Susan B said...

Beautiful pictures and a beautiful poem. Living in a parched and dry place, I find myself craving lakes.

Lucy said...

Hey Sallymandy!Beautiful post! I love lakes and here in Quebec, we're so fortunate to have some of the loveliest lakes- I consider myself so lucky. There's just something about the softness and serenity of a lake. The verses are splendid as well. Ahh..time for reflection... Thanks:)

Rosaria Williams said...

Lovely pictures; sweet poems. This is so restful, so calming. I hope you're having a relaxing summer.

Malisa said...

Absolutely beautiful!

Malisa

Jennifer said...

You have a good eye for just the right photograph to give vision to the meaningful words. Thank you.

sallymandy said...

Thank you, everybody. This is the time of year to enjoy lakes in the northern hemisphere, and I don't know anyone who doesn't like them. These photos are of mountain lakes in Montana. As for the poem, I'm not sure about the last line "as lakes hold water for the people..."--they hold water for many other things too---but I really like the cadence of this poem. My mother found it when I was a teenager, and it hangs on the wall at a favorite lake place in Montana.

sallymandy said...

Deja: I lived for eighteen years in Arizona, and the water was what I missed most about Montana.

Zuzana said...

I was born in the mountains and these contain very deep lakes with crystal clear and freezing cold waters. They are not very large, but oh so deep.
They are the most beautiful, azure blue bodies of water I know.
Thank you for bringing these back in my memory...
Have a wonderful weekend!;)
xo

Cynthia Pittmann said...

Beautiful image of lakes, mountain, and dreaming places. What a gentle place to sit and write...and get some brisk exercise. <3

Eleonora Baldwin said...

Ahhh, summer...

These images are so beautiful, and the poem the perfect score. I love the IDEA and the beauty of the lake, but swimming in one freaks me out. And I love to swim...

Hope you're having a relaxing and peaceful vacation. Ciao my friend,
Lola xx

PurestGreen said...

Beautiful post. Have you ever read Mary Oliver's poetry? I think you would like her work very much.

vicki archer said...

Perfect...xv

Midlife Roadtripper said...

Gotta love the lake! I can't imagine life with the calmness of water.