Exceptional This is a rhymed poem. Apple Pie Hill by rspoet Rhyming Poetry Contest contest entry

Apple Pie Hill   This morning I’m going to Apple Pie Hill; It’s down in the barrens just past Scutter’s Mill. I’ll gather wildberries that grow by the stream; They’re juicy and plump like a succulent dream.   A forest of scrub pine as high as your knees, The sandy conditions result in dwarf trees, But off in the boglands, cranberries are found, While June and Bear berries, and Huckles abound.   I’ll seek out the tower where rangers observe. They’re watching for fires, this land to preserve. Endangered bald eagles and black skimmers soar, In need of protection, or they’ll be no more.   I’m going, I’m going, where curly ferns grow, The soil is sandy and cedar streams flow. The water’s tea-colored from roots of old trees— A woodsy aroma still clings to the breeze.   The flowers are stunning across this pineland— A yellow Pine Heather that blooms in the sand, The red-petaled Goat’s Rue and Cinnamon Fern, These hues of a rainbow each season return.   The once thriving hamlet of Harrisville’s gone; Its only attendee — a deer with her fawn. Forgotten foundations now bake in the sun, Beside Lake Oswego where dark waters run.   Most say it’s a ghost town, that souls linger there, And sounds of a paper mill still haunt the air. You’ll get the odd feeling that you’re not alone; The wind in the bush has a whispery tone.   Some tell of a devil that roams in the pine, Though I’ve never seen it, I’ve looked for a sign. A plot by the Pineys to keep strangers out, That old Jersey Devil will scare them no doubt.   Elusive bog lemmings and otters are seen, And lodges of beavers that keep waters clean. The croaking of male frogs envelops the night; This tree-climbing frog’s an unusual sight.   Beyond every bend there’s another surprise, Meandering rivers and streams meet your eyes. I’ll paddle the Mullica, swim the Maurice, Or float on the Wading to find inner peace.   And that’s why I’m going to Apple Pie Hill; It’s down in the barrens just past the old mill. I’ll hike on the sand trails, perhaps see a fox— This beautiful pineland’s a grand paradox.                                                                Harrisville papermill ruins     &      Pinelands Treefrog           Recognized Author Notes Written in eleven syllable (hendecasyllable) lines with the mixed meter of thoughts, speech, and dreams. Pineys refers to residents of the pinelands. It was once considered a derogatory name, but now locals use it with pride. The paper mill, one of the most advanced in the country at the time, sold paper nationwide. The Pinelands Treefrog is about two inches long. It may be small, but its song fills the night. Congress created the Pinelands National Reserve (PNR) through the passage of the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978. The PNR is the first National Reserve in the United States. The PNR is approximately 1.1 million acres and spans portions of seven counties and all or part of 56 municipalities. The reserve occupies 22% of New Jersey's land area and it is the largest body of open space on the Mid-Atlantic seaboard between Richmond and Boston. The reserve is home to dozens of rare plant and animal species and the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system, which contains an estimated 17 trillion gallons of water. Its biodiversity consists of more than 900 species of plants and trees, including many species of colorful orchids and carnivorous plants. Swamps, freshwater marshes, and stands of hardwood trees marble through the Pinelands. This includes 12,000 acres of a pygmy forest, an unusual stand of dwarf pines. Animals that inhabit the Pinelands include bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, peregrine falcons, screech owls, white tailed deer, black bear, flying squirrels, almost sixty species of amphibians and reptiles, and over ninety species of freshwater fish. Its most famous resident is the Pine Barrens tree frog - hyla andersoni. In 1979, New Jersey formed a partnership with the federal government to preserve, protect and enhance the natural and cultural resources of this special place.

© Copyright 2024. rspoet All rights reserved. rspoet has granted FanStory.com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.