As I walk throughout the forest

Through the ancient woodland trees;

There are traces all around me,

Of a culture lost to time.

Broken jars in muddy hillsides

Arrowheads in running streams,

Children’s beads along the pathway

Age-old rocks with worn out signs.

Along the trail I see them,

Their way of life forever gone

And throughout the woods I hear them;

Their stories that we’ll never know.

Rights & Access

This poem was submitted for the "Poetry for the Mind's Joy" project and is reproduced here with permission from the author. All rights reserved. Poetry for the Mind's Joy is Poet Laureate Kay Ryan's project that includes a community college poetry contest administered by the Community College Humanities Association and a lively videoconference.
  • Shannon Naomi Smith

    Ivy Tech Community College, Indianapolis Campus, Indianapolis, IN

    Faculty Advisor: Joni Colyer, Reference Librarian