Rest in Peace

The Mill

The air is crisp like the peel of an apple that is tart,

The leaves are ablaze with color, like a priceless piece of art,

The air smells fresh, clean and clear,

October has arrived and fall is here,

The campsite is busy with family and friends alike,

Some are making breakfast, some are riding their bikes,

There is a hint of campfire smoke floating in the air,

There is a rush of excitement:  someone has spotted a bear,

A mama bear and her cubs eating chestnuts by the stream,

Spotted at dawn, by the mill, is a camper’s wildest dream,

Located at the midpoint of Cades Cove’s 11-mile loop,

The waterwheel turns slowly as each paddle takes a scoop,

The water in the trough flows silently to the wheel,

Although it is steadily moving, it is peaceful and surreal,

It is there I lay to rest the dust of the man I married,

The Great Smokey Mountains National Park is where he chose to be “buried”,

Ashes to ashes and dust to dust, he returns to the land he admired,

An annual mountain camping trip is what he most desired,

Being close to God’s creation and communing with wildlife there,

Is renewing, invigorating- an experience beyond compare,

As I leave his remains, in his chosen resting place,

I can almost see the smile upon his happy face,

He will love residing here, a place of true tranquility,

While his soul resides in Heaven for all of   eternity.

Tammy Harvey

Written:  8/28/2018

Rest in Peace Jerry.