I looked at the canyon below with all it's twists and bends, it looked as though it was some serpent stalking it's prey, slowly moving across the land. I remember the day we met, I sat watching as a faint shadow walked along that serpent trail in the canyon below, I could feel her struggles as she climbed in the heat of that afternoon sun. I wondered if she would become yet another victim of the days heat, turning back on what lie ahead, a cool spring under the shade of oaks. I sipped from the cool spring, quenching the thirst brought on by the burning afternoon sun, I hoped that she would conquer the trail to discover this island of pleasure amongst the oak trees. Time passed slowly as the sun moved across the hot afternoon sky, I slept to the sound of the trickling spring and dreamed of things from life's past, the scent of the moist earth beneath the oak filled my head. Hello, was the sound that woke me from my afternoon slumber, I rose to gaze upon her, she had beat the serpent and was here with me, I stood to offer a place upon the cool earth for her to rest. As she sat I could smell the scent of her perfume rising from her hot skin, the beads of sweat upon her skin twinkled as the lite streaming through branches above hit them. She talked of how she came to find this trail, how she was determined to find what lie beyond the bends on this hot afternoon, and I was glad. I pulled a cloth from the cool spring and offered to wipe her hot brow, she smiled as I wiped the hot day from her face to reveal the true beauty of her skin. She glowed like an angel beneath the shadow of the oak.

We sat and talked as the sun moved across the sky, soon night had embraced us as we lay upon the damp cool earth, the sounds of the evening surrounded us, and it was good. We awoke to the lite of dawn shinning through the branches above, it's rays cast like the fingers of god reaching out to hold his children. We had made a bond that evening, we partook in the pleasure's of one another many times that night, stopping only briefly to listen as the sounds of the cool spring drifted by. We left early the next morning, guided only by the glow of the dawn as we walked along the trail, stopping only once to say good-bye to our special place beneath the oaks.  As she drove away I wondered if some day we might spend another night together beneath the oak and sounds of the serpent trail.  I pray we do!

-Clint 97