Summer on Lake Michigan--By Charlotte Digregorio--United States

Summer on Lake Michigan

No salt air,

no booming waves,

the folding ocean waves

of my surfer youth.

No jagged monoliths

or coastal mountains of

black bear and elk,

my childhood mysteries.

Just the lake’s equilibrium

in morning light and soft air,

small white footprints to trace.

Not even a stone’s throw

disturbs the lull.

Ripples float away

with thoughts of my thoughts

reaching sky’s end.

Charlotte Digregorio is the author of five award-winning non-fiction books and one poetry collection. Her latest book is Haiku and Senryu: A Simple Guide for All. Digregorio has won thirty-nine poetry awards, writing eleven forms, and was recently nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Her poetry is exhibited at libraries, convention centers, and on public transit, among other places. She served the Haiku Society of America for many years as an officer and hosted her own radio poetry program on public broadcasting. She blogs at www.charlottedigregorio.wordpress.com