Hocking Hills Hues Heaven

What shades of color radiate positive thoughts in your daily life?

“A man’s character always takes its hue more or less from the form and color of things about him.” (Frederick  Douglass)

An August road trip theme I chose during our recent road trip visit to Columbus, Ohio centered around finding an activity to let color be my guide. In other words, I expected to find some setting to stimulate my interest by walking toward colors that most stood out at that time.  So I chose a rural excursion about an hour southeast of the city to well regarded Hocking Hills State Park, a region of recessed caves and sandstone cliffs sculptured by waterfalls of ancient glacial origin. As you can observe in the source website below, there were plenty of interesting nature options to choose from. But because of time and physical capability restrictions, I chose the relatively flat, “Ash Cave” trail that morning.

I thus embarked on an easy back and forth hike within this verdantly thick forest environs by following a narrow gorge along a shrub lined path bathed in cool, dimly light conditions. In doing so, I also hoped to experiment with a newly purchased plant app identifier to make specific sensory impressions beyond just color concerning such species as beech, hemlock, and various other hardwoods observed then.    

Along this corridor, strands of aging hardwood trees intricately enveloped by various shades of green particularly stood out. Gradually, a slow flowing stream of murky brown color emerged which led me to a massive cliffside cave littered with oddly shaped boulders. In thus reaching my intended destination in less than an hour, I’d been rewarded with mesmerizing pastel images of brown, yellow, blue and black as each hue subtly radiated from these rocky surfaces from strong sunshine appearance. Upon entering the underside of the recessed cave itself, a stark perception contrast now set in as I alternated between shades of shadow darkness and surrounding bursts of light. Such observations at Hocking Hills that morning have inspired me to write the following poem as displayed below. 

Blog Source:

https://www.hockinghillsstatepark.com/

HOCKING  HILLS HUES HEAVEN

Hocking’s woods, where shadows play

Canvas runs vast, a colorful array,

Emerald moss, and amber light,

Dancing through trees, in luminous flight.

Deep within, hidden caves abide,

Murky pools fill from gentle slide

Amidst the trees, a mysterious hue,

A world of green wonder, potent brew

The forest’s heart, with kaleidoscope flair,

A rare sight, beyond worldly compare,

In every shade, a new story’s told,

Of magical mystery, young and old.

In woods so dark, yet full of light,

The colors blend, an enticing sight,

A symphony stage, of shade and hue,

With forest’s beauty, forever true.