life's hard-won harmony

life’s hard-won(wän) harmony(ˈhärmənē)

heavy(ˈhevē) and green(grēn)

By Henry H. Walker

summer(ˈsəmər) lies heavy and green here:

the mountain(ˈmountn) slopes(slōp) look all soft and comforting(ˈkəmfərtiNG),
full of pleasantly(ˈplezənt) plump(pləmp) round lines,
as if a green snow has buried(ˈberē) the edges(ej),

within the forest(ˈfär-,ˈfôrəst) it can feel as a cathedral(kəˈTHēdrəl)
with the eye pulled up to lead the way for the spirit(ˈspirit),
with every view a window into a path toward the divine(diˈvīn),
from a distance(ˈdistəns) the wooded mountains pull me to them
and then up with them toward the sky,

each leaf(lēf) disciple(diˈsīpəl) to the sun,
jealous(ˈjeləs) of every other leaf,
though, together, they are a choir(ˈkwīr)
which sings the majesty(ˈmajəstē) of
design, intention(inˈtenCHən), life’s hard-won harmony,
that should be appreciated(əˈprēSHēˌāt), enjoyed, held(e) sacred(ˈsākrid).

http://henryspoetry.blogspot.com/2018/07/lifes-hard-won-harmony.html