SURROUNDINGS

By Joel D. Ash

An online book of Poetic Limericks focused on
the beauty of nature and the natural world around us

Published By OLD PINE BOOKS
Weston, Connecticut

The poems in this book are accompanied by an extensive collection of photographic images designed to enhance the poetic impact. Many of the photographs were taken by the author with the specific intent of publishing them in a book of poems about nature. Other sources for the pictures include several shots taken by other family members, scenes from purchased CD collections, and images obtained via the internet. Photo retouching, montage arrangements, and other special imagery effects were personally done by the author using computer software.

No part of this book may be reproduced for any purpose other than the personal use of the purchaser. For any other use, reproduction or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval, is prohibited without the express written permission of the Publisher.

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to all the poets and artists of the world, living and dead, who have been inspired by nature and have produced works based on that inspiration for the lasting enjoyment of mankind (and womankind).
Our surroundings by nature inspire,
Scenic beauty the soul doth require;
Espy butterflies fly,
In sapphire blue sky,
You must scroll down to eye and admire.

PREFACE

Trying to convey the exquisite splendor of nature by means of poetry is truly an inspirational task. The subject matter provides an endless source of wondrous imagery and natural poetic stimulation. The task of capturing this in words is both easy and difficult. Easy in the sense that there is so much to write about. Difficult because every reader has their own unique view of what beauty is and what is actually worthwhile writing about. The content of this book is simply the author's response to the grandeur which surrounds us. It is neither definitive nor complete. I fully expect that I will write many more poems about various aspects of nature. The forty or so poems presented have been drawn from a collection of 443 Poetic Limericks completed to date. Once the selection of poems was completed, a substantial amount of time and effort went into assembling the photographic images to accompany the poems.

Without incurring any cost, you may review the TABLE OF CONTENTS and the first few poems and images. After that, you will be given the option to arrange to get a password which will allow you to access the remainder of SURROUNDINGS. For the nominal cost of $5.00 (which will allow you 30 days of access) or just a little bit more ($8.00 for 180 days of access) you can enjoy all of the remaining poems and pictures.

PRECIOUS THINGS	Page 1
..........Picture #1: Alternative Skies of the Earth	2
A STATE OF MIND	3
..........Picture #2: A Sunlit Glade	4
A SUNNY DAY	5
HEAVENLY HANA	6
..........Picture #3: Loon Reflection	7
CRY OF THE LOON	8
THOUGHTS OF A BIG FAT TROUT	9
..........Pictures #4 and #5: Deep River Catch and Deep River Sunset	10
DEEP RIVER	11
THE GREAT WHITE	12
..........Picture #6: Beaches	13
SUN, SEA, AND SAND	14-15
THE DEEP BLACK SEA	16
..........Picture #7: Cephalopod Love	17
MATING SEASON	18
RAIN	19

..........Picture #8: Saguaro	Page 20
CACTUS	21
THE GARDEN OF LOVE	22
..........Picture #9: Annual Beauty	23
GENUS "ROSA"	24
..........Picture #10: Hummingbird Haven	25
FLOWER TIME	26
A BOUQUET OF WORDS	27
..........Picture #11: Butterflies	28
THE NATURE OF BUTTERFLIES	29
..........Picture #12: Bird's Eye View	30
HIGH ON NATURE	31
THE AMERICAN EAGLE	32
..........Pictures #13 and #14: The North Rim and Heartland	33
OUR HOMELAND	34
..........Picture #15: Ten Sunsets	35
THE PERFECT SUNSET	36
NIGHT SKY	37
NEW ENGLAND	38
..........Picture #16: Midnight Sail	39

SAILING BY MOONLIGHT	Page 40
NIGHT OF THE METEORS	41
..........Picture #17: Hot Tub Midst the Snow	42
HOT TUB IN WINTER	43
SNOW	44
..........Picture #18: Wintertime	45
DEAD OF WINTER	46
..........Picture #19: Rocky Shores	47
ROCKS	48
IVY	49
..........Picture #20: Turquoise Trinity	50
TURQUOISE	51
..........Picture #21: Yellowstone	52
YELLOWSTONE RIDE	53-54
..........Picture #22: Frog on a Lily Pad	55
VIEW FROM A LILY PAD	56-57
..........Picture #23: Dogwood Circle	58
TOUCHED BY A TREE	59
YELLOW, ORANGE AND RED	60
..........Picture #24: Roots in Japan	61

A JAPANESE GARDEN	Page 62
THE GREEN MAN	63
..........Picture #25: Autumn in Weston	64
THE FALL OF LEAVES	65
HURRICANE JOEL	66
..........Picture #26: Lightning Bolts	67
THUNDERBOLTS	68
..........Picture #27: Forest Montage	69
MUSIC OF THE FOREST	70
..........Picture #28: Jungle Montage	71
JUNGLE MUSIC	72
..........Picture #29: Earth, Sky, and Water	73
EARTH VIEW	74
CLOSING COMMENTS	75

SPECIAL NOTE: If you plan to read the whole book, it is probably a good idea to print out the table of contents as a reference. You may want to print out the entire front section if you ultimately plan to print out the entire book for your personal use in the future. However, remember two things. First, it is almost impossible to get perfect page printouts due to the great variety of printers used. And second, since all of the contents are copyrighted, pages should not be passed on to others.

Scroll down for the beginning of the SURROUNDINGS poems

PRECIOUS THINGS

Our world and all natural things,
Snowy peaks spawning clear mountain springs;
The towering trees,
The fresh summer breeze,
Graceful hawks gliding down on spread wings.

Precious air that is paid little heed,
Wind currents that carry new seed;
Atmosphere far above,
The surroundings we love,
Breath of life that we creatures all need.

Precious water that falls from the sky,
Mighty thirst satisfied with a sigh;
All the rivers and lakes,
Gentle winter snowflakes,
Drops of moisture on which we rely.

Precious plant life that grows all around,
The fruits and the flowers thus crowned;
An oasis midst sands,
Forests and grassy lands,
The grand cycles which nourish our ground.

Precious beings that people the Earth,
New life and the glory of birth;
The smile of a child,
Lovers, oh so beguiled,
Every builder and artist of worth.

All these things we must treat with respect,
There is danger of loss by neglect;
Heritage of our past,
That we all want to last,
Precious things that the world must protect.

Page 1

Picture #1: Alternate Skies of Earth

The combination picture above shows two very real and very conflicting views of the precious skies of Earth. Above, a beautiful sun at daybreak behind a cloud filled sky. Below, a factory spewing black smoke into the atmosphere. Recognizing that third world countries have an overwhelming desire to grow and provide jobs for their people, we must help them to achieve these objectives without destroying the air we all breath. New technology combined with improved understanding of environmental consequences can hopefully help the world grow without undue pollution.

Page 2

A STATE OF MIND

State of beauty inside my mind's eye,
New Hampshire my place of blue sky;
With mountains where I,
Can live free or die,
Every season a satisfied sigh.

Leaves are spread in an autumn bouquet,
Colors dance from the sun's ricochet;
I cannot convey,
The sublime interplay,
As the leaves weave a fall macramé.

Snow is spread in a soft winter white,
On a day that is dazzling bright;
It's a skier's delight,
In a seasonal rite,
People flock to a great mountain height.

Flowers spread in the warm days of spring,
Time of year when the birds take to wing;
Green that these months bring,
With growth in full swing,
Many days you can hear granite sing.

Sunshine spread in daylight fantasy,
Summer warmth that these months guarantee;
Swim in Lake Sunapee,
Feel the north sorcery,
Magic flows from the waters to me.

New hampshire and I intertwined,
Any time of the year there I find;
Country roads to unwind,
That are one of a kind,
The perfection is my state of mind.

Page 3

Picture #2: A Sunlit Glade

There is nothing quite as uplifting to the human spirit as a bright sunny day. A day when the radiant sun casts a soft warm glow. A day when all of nature basks in the pure joy of sunshine. The above picture, based on a painting entitled "A Forest Glade" by Carl Frederic Aagaard, depicts one such glorious day. It is somewhat hard to see, but a deer in the center of the glade stands quietly enjoying a moment of true golden bliss.

Page 4

A SUNNY DAY

Glowing streaks in the sky, early morn,
Grand commencement of day, sun's sojourn;
Bursting forth at daybreak,
As you gaze wide-awake,
The full glory of dawning unshorn.

Yellow orb to the heavens ascends,
Sweet mantle of warmth now extends;
Sun dance o'er treetops,
Citron eye of Cyclops,
Staring down on green fields as it wends.

Bright noon with the sun at its height,
White light of our shining birthright;
No cloud up above,
Scintillation thereof,
Brilliant sparkles of blinding sunlight.

The afternoon shimmer pervades,
The splendor and dazzle cascades;
Ablaze in the blue,
Radiance, golden hue,
Nature basking below in warm glades.

The end of the day is at hand,
Sun fades as the shadows expand;
Gleaming sunset, red blush,
Final soft glowing flush,
Then the light rays in darkness disband.

Page 5

If you want to see the rest of the book ...

Please click here if you have already purchased the necessary password for access ...

Continuation of SURROUNDINGS

If you would like to purchase the passwords necessary for further access, please click here to go to the Order Page for Online Books ...

ORDER PAGE FOR ONLINE BOOKS

If you enjoy reading SURROUNDINGS, please recommend it to your friends - - I thank you in advance for your support!

Click here if you want to return to the Poetic Limericks home page at this time and come back to the continuation of SURROUNDINGS later...

HOME