Geyser Dreams and Stone Footsteps by Michael Doyle
A chronicle's story has been revealed About sacred ground that has been unveiled Hayden's expedition surveyed the majesty That they happened on in Yellowstone Valley
This stretch of land was meant for exploration It became a crown jewel benefiting our nation Humanity was small against such magnificence That for over 150 years has maintained significance
Towering mountains and deep canyons filled this space Sprawling forests filled this magical place Over time, surreal beauty weaved its rich tapestry With fingers of wooded strands of thick canopy
Intermittently laced with a thousand stories unknown These make up the life we walk but are too seldom shown Dancing along, barely skimming our revealed surface We glimpse as we dream of these cherished traces
Like an artist's palette of geysers, mud pots, and springs The poets know the joys of which only the minor gods sing This sort of sublime wilderness changes every woman and man As only this sort of beauty inspires as only it can
The Hayden Expedition no longer wanted to trade in gold But as their journals whispered and their tale did unfold The actual value of this sublime land became known As the voices of the wild and the secrets they were shown
Became a glimpse into the earth's deep past like a dream Thirty-two men had come in the name of a thing called progress And as they traversed over mountains and flowing streams They no longer wanted to tear it up to maintain it as best
That a gift-bearing stewardship might know its own morn The dream of national parks was indeed meant to be born Hayden blazed these trails along with these other pioneers To share his discovery with us as a legacy of these golden years
Something had happened along the expedition's way This sacred place found its way to survive into modern-day Hayden had found, indeed, what true wealth means And determined not to destroy but to share these dreams
(c) March 15, 2025 Michael Doyle All Rights Reserved
“The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the republican model of government, are justly considered deeply, perhaps as finally, staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.” – George Washington (1789)
“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” – Michael Jordan, from “A Humbled Jordan Learns New Truths (1994), The New York Times
Living waters fill my thirst Freed by the love that I put first My King has paid the ransom He has given me my place in His kingdom
His words are the wind in my sails His song is the victory that prevails Everywhere I look, it's understood His intentions for you and me are only good
Held inside the palm of His healing hand It's not so hard to understand That His eternal love points the way I have only to live His will every day
With my eyes on His victory crown I know I cannot fall down Every breath granted and that I've received I will testify to the goodness I've believed
The hardest thing that I've ever learned Is to have received this grace I've not earned Knowing that I will walk in His eternal love I'll keep my eyes focused on Heaven above
(c) March 14, 2025 Michael Doyle All Rights Reserved
“The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice. Ironically, their virtues make them vulnerable; they are often wounded, sometimes destroyed.” – Ernest Hemingway
Heading out of Australia to escape this Aussie winter. First stop Japan, then UK/Ireland and if work doesn't call me back, onto Chicago. I will make it up as I go along
ALOHA PROMISES FOREVER 