One day through the emerald wood
a deer browsed from tree to tree,
making a trail all bent askew.
That trail was followed in time by other single animals, and then a few
- a herd soon followed that trail over hill and vale and glade
and soon through those old woods a path was made.
Then men wound in an out and dodged and turned and bent about
because was such a crooked path,
but still they followed, do not fear, the first migrations of that lone deer, who, through his
wandering way created the path that men now took.
In time this crooked path became a lane that still bent and turned
and turned again, to follow the most gentle downward path or up.
This crooked lane became a road where many a horse with his load
traveled round and round and double back to gently ease the up and down and make the work more slack.
The years progressed in swiftness fleet and the road became a
country street, and then before men were aware, an American city thoroughfare.
Today men still follow that first deer, on foot and bike and other
gear, but now they strive to keep this path a historic road along which all lives can move, in
pleasure, and treasure for a moment that they are back in time and through the woods can peer
and maybe see a relative of that first deer, still echoing the reasons that this road through
emerald wood is beautiful all seasons.
Bob Nyquist.