Through steep and narrow paths I forge
Where glacier carved the river gorge

The wind in the forest whispers her name
Woodland creatures praise her fame

While sunlight trickles through the branches
Mountain Mama sits on her haunches

Washed with rain and in torrent bathed
Her overflow begets a cascade

To quench the forest’s eager thirst
To green the foliage, flowers burst

And where leaves and logs in forest lay
She wears the perfume of loamy decay

When sunset yields to purple twilight
Emerge the winged creatures of night

Over moonlit treetops, bat wings flutter
Gently honor Earth, their mother

Before the purple fades on the end of day
I bid Mama goodnight and go on my way

The Smoky Mountains are having the desired effect…. Nothing can replace immersion in nature for restoring your energy and draining off the stress.