Alpenglow

By Bufford J. Hall

Poetry is a beautiful art form that comes from thoughts and the heart that flows. This compilation of poems is influenced by the flow of nature and the winding roads of life. Life is about catching moments between the light times and the dark times of our lives that we are surrounded by. Whether you are on a mountain summit or in a valley or in between, life is about the ups and downs that develop who we are. The alpenglow is a magical moment when in the twilight hours, the hues of red shine on the opposite mountains from the sun. It only lasts for a brief time, but life is the same way, as we all are trying to capture the magical moments that mean so much to us. Clutch those moments, whether it be a sense of nostalgia, recollections of memories, your family, or the breathtaking views that capture your heart. This collection consists of the elements of nature and how we can miss the smallest details of life around us. The elements of family, culture, and so much more always leave lasting impressions of mementos in our lives. I thoroughly hope you enjoy this compilation. Stay on the winding roads and keep chasing your alpenglow, catching those moments that will forever be in your mind and in your heart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Newman Springs Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887638768

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Soaking It All In

In the Cleft

Daydreaming

Hidden Jewels

Smell the Roses

Nature's Rapport

Blurred Lines

Candles

Requiescence

Rust

Castle in the Woods

Churrs, Kwirrs, and Blurs

Wood Flute

Where Roses Never Fade

Cumberland Rush

Mountain Weeps

Orb Weavers

Southern Mural

World in Reverse

Plantain Lilies

Leafy Dancers

Borrowed

Walk through Time

Strands of Gold

White Shawl

The Wild

Cornucopia

Hardships

Lost

Day Shadows

Frost flowers

Nightfall Devotions

Stick and Stone

Have You

Bluegrass Cloak

Ice Feathers

Trove of Gold

Willow

Where God Is Heard

Breathe

Senses

Nobility

Rushlights

Dance of Leaves

In the Green

Alluring Hills

Fence Row

Hollow Hymn

Muddy Waters

Stargazing

Desperado and the Devil's Bathtub

Sunset Shade

Leaning Hard

April Chill

My Heart

The King's Eye

Petrified

Ponder

Candlelight

Filling Recesses

The Sculptor

Way of Water

Nightjar

Home

Colors Drop

First Frost

Heavenly Gesture

Shaking Leaves Off

Rustling

Waves

Voice in the Wind

Cabin Streams

Embers

Mountain without Skies

Mud's Fire

Light after the Storm

Perched

Gravity

Where the Creek Flows

Moss on the Shingles

Near Stream and Thistle

Lanterns

Daffodils

Wildflowers

All That Remains

Savor the Journey

Mountain Homeplace

Mountaintop

Feather

One Voice

Nature's Concert

Overlook

Mountain Ivy

Fall and Rise

Hearken

Be Still

Where the Crawdads Sleep

Footprints in the Snow

Soothing

Man Upstairs

Mind at Ease

Bourbon Barrels and Wagon Wheels

Blue Hypnosis

Beneath Our Eyes

Bumblebee

Mountain Utopia

Barn

God's Hush

Seasons

The Mountain Cardinal

Drift Back

Masterpiece

Rock Pillows and Beds

October Rain

Mountain Cabin

Rays

Run toward Where Day and Night Meet

A Thirst for Heaven

The Dirt Road

Sunrise to Sunset

On the Back Road

The White Pine

Books on a Shelf

Snowball Cutting

Toes in the Water

Swinging Bridge

Mountain Pew

Limited Print Edition

Greatest View

Alpenglow

Alpenglow

Catching Time

The Bench

Hands on the Window

Weeping under a Waterfall

Young Love

Crushed

Spellbound

Windshield

Simple Time

Autumn Chataigne

A Ladle of Tears

Sunflowers

Relentless

Handpicking

Tears Mixed with Ink

Broken Steps

Holding On

Roads Turn

Mountain Stones

Tomorrow

Hands on the Clock

Branch after Branch

Crossroads

Intersection where resolve is not complete

Two Rings

Reflection and Futurity

Empty but Full

Door

Lightning in a Storm

Down the Road

Majesty of a Woman

Walks and Talks

See You Later

Short Story

They

Caught

The Pendulum

Beckon

Slate

Echoes

Princess

The Journey

Aim High

God Sees

The Pen

Recollections

Imprints

God's Compass

Old Soul

A Fire Inside

Dream Chasers

Handwriting

More Than Wood

The Front Porch

Trophies on the Pine

Love

The Letter

The Struggle

Mothers

Antiques

If I Could

Embrace

What Is Life

Seeds

Shaking Acorns on a Tree

Bonds

The Old Red Chevy

Time

Fireplace

Sight

Pocketknife

Blue Eyes

Stay Forever

Golden Delight

When You Walk These Hills

The Creek

Baptized

Had It All

The Creek Roared

Clothesline

Cruise

Like

The Hat

Dust

Cedar Chest

Dirt Floor

Ragged Jeans

Brotherhood

Mile in His Boots

Day In and Out

Wonder

Old Path

Ties

Strings

Knee Deep

Fishing Hole

Golden Field

Old Days

Bridges

Three on the Tree

Antiquity

Diamond in the Mountains

Mountain Man

Mountain Folk

Blood and Bone

Christmas Memories

Heart of a Child

Christmas

Hollow Life

Master of the Storm

Rough Lumber

Like My Dad

Neck of the Woods

Mountain Keepsakes

Go to the Mountains

Ornament

Thoughts

The Cane

The Path

Brothers and Sisters

C'mon Up

Out Here

Barefooted

The Hollow

Roots

A Simple Man

The Guitarist

Wood

Winter

Home on a Hill

Down on Troublesome

The Mine

Coal Miner

The Stove

Path Not Heavily Trodden

From a Cliff

Delight

Cries Out

Seedling

Boomerang

Endless

Noiseless

Pawpaw

Deep

Sun Kisses

Ever So Softly

Arms Wide Open

Tossing

Higher Inspiration

Daybreak

Honeydrops

Melody

Bounce

Pastel

Plop

Twilight

Creeping in the Woods

On a Beach

In a Forest

By the Lake

Between the Trees

Feet in Streams

On the Horizon

Vacuum

Words Flow

The Sound of Feathers

God and Dog

Empty Hulls

Rime

Soaking It In

Portrait and Collar

Autumn in Appalachia

On a Mountaintop

Covey Rise

Grouse Boots

Ghosts

Tailgate Talk

Whistles and Bells

Hand-Me-Down

Tail Bands

Over the Ridge

Xena

Mountains and Creeks

Companions

The Nose Never Lies

Time Slips

Breeze

Kings on the Bluffs

The Looking Glass

Autumn Mist

Chasing Legends

Bird Dog

Paragon

The Snow

Spring Morning

On Point

Reign

Coverts

Days Come

Old and the New

A Connoisseur

Threefold Cord

Best Friends

No Audience

Easy Come, Easy Go

Sound of Feathers

Author's Note

About the Author

cover.jpg

Alpenglow

Bufford J. Hall

Copyright © 2023 Bufford J. Hall

All rights reserved

First Edition

NEWMAN SPRINGS PUBLISHING

320 Broad Street

Red Bank, NJ 07701

First originally published by Newman Springs Publishing 2023

ISBN 979-8-88763-875-1 (Paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88763-876-8 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Acknowledgments

I would like to give a heartfelt thanks to my lovely wife, Devonna Hall, for deeply supporting me and encouraging me to compile my poem collection. A special thanks to my son, Jordan Chase Hall, and my daughter, Kasey Lavonna Hall Turner, for such great inspiration. On this journey of life, I have been blessed to be inspired by many too numerous to count.

Water runs through a small stream in the backcountry.

Introduction

Poetry is a beautiful expression as the thoughts and pen flow like water through a mountain stream. Streams flow off the mountaintops into the valleys, coursing through tributaries, then run into winding creeks or rivers, never ceasing. Poetry is akin to the ways of water flowing endlessly. That allure draws the adventurer in all of us to seek tranquility and dip our feet into the crisp mountain streams that poetry provides. From the summits of the mountains to the valleys and onward to the fields, poetry captures the little details that we often might miss. Standing in a field of clover, holding a native flower, watching a songbird, or on a back road brings serenity. The words in a line often convey a much deeper meaning that stirs up the heart, mind, and soul. They sometimes invoke memories or make one contemplate the now or the future. I am often reminded of the power of words in motion. I was introduced to poetry and literature through an avid English teacher, June Conley. A special thanks to Judy Thomas Amburgey for inspiring me, through high school, to write and for still encouraging me, even today. My father, Bufford Hall, also wrote poetry as a hobby and deeply inspired me in so many ways. That love of poetry and writing influenced me then and still does today. This compilation of poems consists of nature, life, love, family, outdoor adventures, local culture, and more. Follow me down the winding creeks to the woods and around the bends of an old back road to the apex of the mountaintops, pausing to breathe in the mountain air, maybe the aeration of wildflowers, or the celebration of life. Whether your toes are in the streams or a lake, I hope you enjoy the ride as you soak it all in.

A slight haze over the mountain summits with a hint of heaven.

Brisk waters flow from the apex of a mountain, creating a small waterfall.

Soaking It All In

Life is a grand adventure traversing the deep woods or a stroll across a swinging bridge. Perhaps even traveling to a local stream or on a lake. Catching the wind in your hair high atop a rolling bluff as you feel all the senses stirred by what surrounds you. Traveling the winding road, soaking it all in.

A beautiful autumn day in the mountains stirs the heart.

In the Cleft

Steady the climb scaling up

Until a crawl to reach the rocks

Tectonic plates forming the crest

Years and years ago from collisions

Plates upheaved creating blocks

Overlooking streams and water spills

Rocks folding again over and over

Cumberland mountains arising up

Earth's crust bending, my feet emerged

In growing perennials of white clover

Below the placid lying gradient

Creeks and rivers that flow like time

Above a cleft between the rocks lies

A crack into the ancient mountain range

Of an interval of time still confined

A narrow door to another time and place

Standing in the opening of a time long ago

Hid away in the shadows of the past

Setting foot into the corridor between

Ensconced in the cleft of the plateau.

Daydreaming

In a softened state but fully awake

Watching the waves turn over at the lake

Carolina chickadees singing a lullaby

Under the fluffy cumulus clouds in the sky.

A common yellowthroat whizzes through

The water ripples from kayaks and canoe

Oars gently rowing through bluish green

Blades gently cut through waters, in between.

Gone astray from fret and trepidation

Daydreaming without any vexation

While the song of the eastern towhee

From the dock sings drink your tea.

The dock moves from each oscillation

Wave upon wave, a reverie of meditation

Leaning slightly back in the stern of the boat

In control but daydreaming while afloat.

Hidden Jewels

Down by the lazy stream hid slightly

Probing in an inquiry with different tools

A backpack strapped as she hikes hard

A journey on foot in search of hidden jewels.

She comes near the edge of the marsh

Her boots bury into the murky swamp

The shade providing a wildflower medley

She treks through the mud with every stomp.

Her eyes behold a hummingbird then more

She follows their graceful flight as they dock

She steadily climbs over a velvety lichen log

Mounts a slab of large sedimentary rock.

Flashes of oval spots splashed with orange

Touch-me-nots of mountain dew rolling off

The petals, like jewels, hid away and remote

Between the gray and brown cobble trough.

Falling from diamonds and orange sapphires

She reaches for one of the watery beads

The pod snaps open in her hands revealing

Emeralds as she stands in the jewelweeds.

Smell the Roses

Oh, the rise of a glaring sunset

Above the old mountain dwelling

Pear and cherry trees in full bloom

The hills open their eyes—overwhelming.

Fragrances of a summer morning

The sun peeking through the tree outline

As beams of light shine on tinges of red

The streaks make roses glimmer fine.

The sun runs for the roses, briefly stops

Smelling roses while it evaporates the dew

Soon the sun rises over like blinds opening

A curtain pulled back showing all the hue.

Nature's Rapport

In the far, far back of the hardwoods

Away from hustle, bustle, and uproar

In the stilling silence and lovely quietude

I found myself within nature's rapport.

No commotion, no sense of turmoil

The revered land listens with auscultation

To the sounds of the heart and the spirit

A panacea dwelling in the Appalachian.

Discerning the dreams and thoughts

Awareness of the inner being deep within

Like an old-time mountain remedy and cure

The woods talk back like a longtime friend.

Blurred Lines

Streaks of white across the sky

Against an endless ocean of blue

Life is a simile of the upper indigo

Lines get blurred trying to view

Clouds maneuver hindering the high.

Wavelengths change orange from red

Light blue from shift of yellow and green

Lofty shapes mixed with white and cobalt

Heterogeneous and the diverse convene

Sun flares try to separate lines to be read.

Cannot see the vivid drape of the blue backdrop

For the cirrus clouds like white feathers so frail

Strands reach forth like silky fine plumage

Of white, thin hairs blocking the high detail

Squinting to see the transcendence of the tip-top.

Candles

Coruscating upon the wildwood

Flames burn like raging fires would

Waltzing to the beat of the wind

Spinning and turning in rhythm.

A wildfire of torches handed across

As each azalea passes the glows

Each adorned in an evening gown

Candles in a ballroom going around.

Requiescence

The wood pops and crackles

Embers jump relaxing by the fire

Flames of varied waves and heights

Warmth is felt from high and then higher.

Branches snap and pop under heat

Smoke sails ever so soft up and up

Providing light, heat, and easygoing

Drinking from nature's affable cup.

I stare into the flames, a reflection

Stares back at me as I recline

Stretched out, enjoying the ease

Fire rises from the kindling of dry pine.

Scent of the campfire brings back

Memories as the twigs twist and burn

Leaving ashes while new sparks form

Glowing brighter, a bright future in turn.

Rust

Barnwood piece moves left to right

Right to left by a single rusty nail

Creaking back and forth

Scattered leaves sit on a yellow bale.

Rusty tractor with wheels in soil

Rusty plow halted at some point

Orange-brown as far as the eye can see

A motor hangs off a rusty pulley and hoist.

Everything ages in time if exposed

Collecting rust in the eye of the beholder

Seeing beauty or the corrosiveness

In the colors as objects get older.

Castle in the Woods

The ligneous abode on rolling hillocks

An arboraceous landscape hideaway

No bustle, disruption, or botheration

An alpine escape and tranquilizing stay.

A hardwood frame castle with cedar beams

Thick walls to fortify from outer civilization

Oak towers not only to protect from without

But to keep tranquility within the isolation.

An outstretched moat of a myriad of ponds

Drawbridge of cedar beams across a stream

Strong castle built of hardy earth and wood

Architecture erected for a leisurely dream.

Churrs, Kwirrs, and Blurs

In mountain loft and crest

Churrs heard near the nest

A red