THE BRIGHT SIDE

I like the flowers that bloom in the wild; I like the trees that wave in the breeze; I like the stars that gleam in the night, And the sunshine that floods the world with ease.

I like the streams that dance down the hills, I like the mountains that tower so grand; I like the valleys where silence thrills, And the wide-eyed wonder of Nature’s hand.

I like the birds that sing in the day; I like the echoes that follow their notes; I like the sun’s last smile on the bay, And the dream of night that around me floats.

For in these things there’s a beauty rare, A peace that soothes the troubled mind; And though life’s burdens I sometimes bear, In Nature’s arms I solace find.

• Thomas Bracken