PICTURE & POETRY

(E-mail your literary work and pictures to directory@blueridgemtns.net for posting consideration)

Picture Taken From Rocky Knob Overlook

 

Time in a Mirror

White-tip mountains, majestic, stand tall.
Images of trees, reflections of clouds in blue.
Birds in flight look down to see years gone by,
years still to see.
Leaves of green, brown, yellow and red,
reflect as they float to their winter bed.
Footprints in snow of squirrels and deer.
The rippling of raindrops as they fall.
Seasons gone by, those still to come.
All of nature is a reflection of time.

Susan Zakusylo

Copyright ©2007 Susan Zakusylo

 

 

Buzzards Roost & Sharp top, one of the Peaks Of Otter. This view is from Peaks of Otter Winery
 

(compliments Peaks of Otter Winery)

 


Painted Glory

Ribbon of brilliance lacing
Eloquently along your crest
Enveloping cascading beauty
Not meant to last

 Luxurious luster draped
Upon your seasonal show today
Delicate remnants tormented
Flounder and decay

 Perhaps again, another time
Red, yellow, orange or gold
Your painted glory shall shine, but
Today you are mine to hold
          

Submitted By Gail Moore

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WEATHER

It was October and the Indians on a remote reservation asked their new
 Chief if the coming winter was going to be cold or mild.
 Since he was a Chief in a modern society he had never been taught the
 old secrets.
 When he looked at the sky he couldn't tell what the winter was going to
 be like.
 Nevertheless, to be on the safe side he told his tribe that the winter
 was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should
 collect firewood to be prepared.
 But being a practical leader, after several days he got an idea. He went
 to the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked, "Is
 the coming winter going to be cold?"
 "It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold," the meteorologist
 at the weather service responded.
 So the Chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more
 firewood in order to be prepared.
 A week later he called the National Weather Service again. "Does it
 still look like it is going to be a very cold winter?"
 "Yes," the man at National Weather Service again replied, "it's going to
 be a very cold winter."
 The Chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect
 every scrap of firewood they could find.
 Two weeks later the Chief called the National Weather Service again.
 "Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?"
 "Absolutely," the man replied. "It's looking more and more like it is
 going to be one of the coldest winters ever."
 "How can you be so sure?" the Chief asked.
 The weatherman replied, "The Indians are collecting firewood like
 crazy!"
 


 

BLUE RIDGE SUNSET

  

(Taken from Ferrum, VA)

 

 

MABRY MILL - FLOYD COUNTY, VIRGINIA

A BLUE RIDGE PROMISE


(Rainbow over Parkway Mountains in Virginia)

 

 

PENNY

 

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at her husband's
employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. Her husband's boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.
> > >< < <
The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very
wealthy live. The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest
restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance
again, so she was enjoying herself immensely.
> > >< < <
As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly
ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment.
> > >< < <
Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened
penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny.
> > >< < <
He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What
 need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?
Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She causally
mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had
been of some value.
> > >< < <
A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to
see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?
"Look at it." He said. "Read what it says." She read the words "United States of America."
"No, not that; read further."
 "One cent?"
" No, keep reading."
 "In God we Trust?"
"Yes!"
"And?"
"And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that
inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops
a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I
stop and pray to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that
I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way
 of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!"
> > >< < <

submitted by: Pete Belton
 

ROADWAY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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