raised for eggs and meat            
quieter than most duck breeds
black, Cayuga ducks

Long ago
Long before the dawn of his youth
Lived a boy, a young boy
A boy who had a dream
A childhood dream.
He would lay at the forest glade
And gaze, gaze in wonder
At the peculiar workings of the earth.
He would count all the birds of the sky
Wander into the dark forest deep
Stroll by the humming river
And paint with all the colors of the earth.
The night's inner glow,
The wild's cheerful tune;
All of earth's splashy marvel
Would prompt his thoughts
To travel the world
In search of a secret.
The blue waters of the Pacific seemed a decent start, he thought
Perhaps a swim in the depths of Waikiki Beach
Or a hike up Mt. Rainier
A stroll in the scenic wonderlands of Northern Idaho
Maybe a nice dinner in Broadmoor Hotel at Colorado Springs
Or build a cabin in Minnesota's lake country
A day picnic at Mt. Chocorua
A quick walk down Boston Common
Or a Tulip time at Bronx,
Drifted his mind.
Bend of Susquehanna, Cayuga Lake, Chesapeake Bay, Rehoboth Beach
Flashed upon his sight.
Then one day, not long ago
To his surprise
He found the secret
Veiled in one who owns his heart.

I.
He was in the wilderness
a place where no man strays
          he had nothing to accomplish
alone there on the fray

Standing oaks reaching tall
          with green crowns bearing life
beams of sunlight piercing stillness
          red cardinal and his wife

Creepy crawlers in the damp
          black and moist their stay
leaves shed carpet years far gone
          dry twigs upon it lay

Walking, watching, listening
          snake silent moving still
squirrel grey lounging overhead
          sadness here is nil

Golden finch laughing chatter
          dance in full costume
twisted vines, honeysuckle
          shares her bright perfume

                       II.
Breathe in deeply, rest awhile
          Virginian countrymen
dreams of days long time past
          days of the Powhatan

Before the European man
          washed their tribe in pain
before the Spanish smallpox
          before so many slain

They danced the dream of brotherhood
          Siouan, Tutelo
adopted by Cayuga
          into the northern snow

Monacan nation, native land
          wind, water, fire, earth
renape spirit guiding silence
          offering rebirth