No Greater Beauty

No Greater Beauty
By William H. White, Jr.

I recently as I drove in the mountains, I was treated to a smorgasbord of extraordinary beauty. My soul was stirred to witness the wonder of creation around me. As the road wound it way beside a river I glimpsed deer feeding with their young. I spotted a black bear coming to drink. Waterfalls on both sides of the road took my breath away as they roared and sprayed.
People dotted the waterway too. I saw men standing the water dressed in hip waders trying to catch the elusive trout that lived there. Nearby, small animals did the same. The raccoons were having more luck. Some people just sat beside the waters and rested, while others took shelter from the heat in the cool waters.
Delicate flowers hung from branches and sprouted from fields, giving color and depth to their surroundings. Once, a hawk dove down to a still pool, dipped into the water, and flew off with a small fish in his talons. The beauty and grace of his movements was inspiring. He came in without a sound and left with only the rippling of the water and flapping of his wings.
At places great boulders defied the water and stood proudly in their midst. Great sprays of white foam swirled around the dark stones as the water charged down its course. In quieter places the water gave way to delicate reeds and vegetation. The tall stalks swayed slowly and rhythmically as the waters rippled past. Here in these placid waters waterfowl rested and fed.
As darkness fell, the sky changed from blue to a spectrum of vivid colors such as can only be seen in the mountains at dusk. The hills were cloaked in brilliant hues of red, orange, yellow, and pink. The kaleidoscopic effect made it hard to concentrate on the road ahead.
As I swung the overloaded truck around the many curves (I doubt that there was a place three feet long that was straight) I drank in the beauty surrounding me. My heart yearned to stop and partake of the surroundings. My feet wanted to wade into the cooling waters, but time pushed me onward. Still I wanted to linger. The beauty tempted me to stay my journey and delay my arrival.
However, when I returned and laid my weary eyes on you, the beauty the drive faded away in the glow of the perfect beauty of your face. My soul wanted to linger with you. My feet wanted to follow you wherever you went. Time no longer pushed, but yet flew. No beauty on earth can compare to the beauty of you.