‘Predawn High Sierra Hike’: A Poem by James A. Tweedie

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Predawn High Sierra Hike

The new-moon, star-lit darkness does not hide
The beauty that surrounds me on the trail,
As silhouettes of trees and mountains guide
My feet into the wilderness like braille.

For darkness has a beauty of its own,
With whispered wind and brook-song beyond sight,
As step by cautious step, I walk alone
Beneath the splendor of a starry night.

But shadows must at last give way to dawn
As rosy-fingered clouds illume the sky.
New beauty born replacing what has gone;
For day and night each in their turn must die.

With golden, sun-tipped peaks, the wilderness
Awakens both to welcome and to bless.

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James A. Tweedie is a retired pastor living in Long Beach, Washington. He has written and published six novels, one collection of short stories, and four collections of poetry including Sidekicks, Mostly Sonnets, and Laughing Matters, all with Dunecrest Press. His poems have been published nationally and internationally in both print and online media. He was honored with being chosen as the winner of the 2021 SCP International Poetry Competition.