The Ruin
(1980)

Many storms have passed over the cabin.
The years have plagued and eroded its walls.
Only the faint outline of a foundation remains.
How long has it been there?
What kind of life was sought in its shelter?
The stream running nearby is only a trickle now.
Stone steps were crafted down the bank
To make access to water easier.
Who was the builder?
Was he a trapper of long ago,
Or a fugitive seeking refuge in the wilderness?
Generations have come and gone since its beginning.
Nature has taken over the obliteration of the cabin.
Trees have grown amidst the foundation stones.
Grass covers the pathway to the stairway.
The steps are broken and falling into the stream bed.
The cabin is gone,
Taking with it the answers to the mysteries.
Where once the hearth glowed,
Where once life thrived,
Now, nothing but the ruin.