John of the Mountains

(for John Muir, also known as “John of the Mountains”)

 

 

John of the Mountains rose up in his youth,

wandered the coastline and the countryside.

Armed with poetry books by Robert Burns,

"Auld Lang Syne"* to Scotland changed not his stride.

 

An ocean apart, settled on a Wisconsin farm.

Botany class sent him flying to the woods.

Money scarce, he worked at a wagon shop.

With machines, his brain proved to be shrewd.

 

A sharp tool slipped and struck his eyes.

Six weeks confined to a darkened room.

Day or night he could not tell.

John of the Mountains met his doom.

 

The bitter woe turned out to be sweet.

Again, he saw the world in a new light.

God nearly killed him to teach a lesson.

Listen to conscience, true to his own sight.

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Kentucky, Florida, Cuba, there he roamed,

wildest, least trodden roads he took.

In California, he found his true love in Yosemite.

Cliffs, waterfalls,

 

*A song by Robert Burns.

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