Tennessee Is the Place for Me—a Poetic Journey

 

Pre-Vacation Ponderings 

In 2005, my husband and I took a weeklong anniversary vacation in late September. We didn't take vacations often. I had rarely left Minnesota, except for one trip to Arizona in my first 40 years. 

Life had been particularly stressful then, with events colliding. For ten years, it felt like one crisis after another. Going somewhere far away seemed like a dream, and it was. 

We left for Tennessee in anxious anticipation, looking forward to life without phone calls, unsolvable dilemmas, and crises, which had become our norm. I found myself strangely nervous about letting go and being so far from my comfort zone. It might seem odd to find a comfort zone in such chaos, yet it was all I had known for so long. It took a bit to wind down from it all. 

The Remnants of Hurricane Rita

Hurricane Rita, the fourth most intense Atlantic hurricane, made landfall in the Gulf region the day before our departure, leaving a rainy mist that followed us all the way to Tennessee. We would get ahead of it while driving and wake up to it again the next day.

Camping in Cloverdale

We camped along the way simply because I was too cheap to pay to sleep in a hotel. Camping was once an activity I hated, but having a tent that pops up in thirty seconds helped, and keeping the menu simple made it very pleasant. Our favorite spot was a small campground in Cloverdale, Indiana. It was quiet and peaceful, and I was thrilled to sit outside in the evening without being mauled by mosquitoes like at home; it was warm.

The campfire was calming and mesmerizing.

Basking in the reflections of dancing flames

Rekindling dying embers

All but smothered by the relentless deluge of crisis and tragedy

Flames prophetically leaping in joyous revival

Illuminating the darkness that lingers in the periphery

Its radiating warmth beckons us to forget the darkness and the cold at our backs

Gradually penetrating the icy stares of the reproaches of our past and apprehensions of our future, gently dissolving the fortifications against life's harsh realities.

It asks us only to behold its moments and enjoy its presence

Never to lament nor anxiously anticipate

Allowing us only enough light to comprehend that which is within our reach

Distractions

We didn't plan a specific destination beyond seeing the Smoky Mountains. We first arrived in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. I could see the Smokies in the distance, but I found myself distracted from the natural scenery by the human-made hype and entertainment designed to lure tourists. Every nook and cranny of free space was littered with beckoning signs for events, places, and shopping. The roads were clogged with tourists taking them up on the offer. 

I couldn't help but ponder the spiritual application of this sight. The real, natural beauty of eternal life lies ahead, but instead we get sidetracked by the lower things of this world. Things that rob us of our resources and leave us empty-handed. 

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary, fainting in heart. 

— Hebrews 12:1-3 

 

Thank God for All Your Blessings

We pressed on to Gatlinburg, which sits right at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is a charming little town, quite unlike Pigeon Forge. Although tourism is the city's primary industry, it wasn't the circus we had seen in Pigeon Forge. By then, I'd decided I didn't want to camp. I am terrified of bears and didn't realize then that my home state of Minnesota has the highest population of black bears in the U.S. We got a reasonably priced hotel room at the Microtel Inn with a spectacular view. I looked down at a little historic church below, with a heart-shaped sign. It read:

"Thank God for all your blessings" 

I knew God had blessed us with an oasis of peace in time. I finally let go and truly relaxed, knowing it was all in His care. 

Overcoming Obstacles

I found myself unusually adventurous, trying things I usually fear, like heights and horseback riding. My husband talked me into riding the skylift to the top of a hill overlooking Gatlinburg. I opened my eyes just before the camera took our picture.

Overcoming things I fear.

Like distance, height, and horse

Surrendering to each moment's dread

And finishing its course

Rewarded with enchantments

Only courage can see

His orchestrated confrontations

Had gloriously set me free

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park 

I was a bit nervous about driving on mountain roads. We don't have them in Minnesota, and my depth perception was easily thrown off. I was amazed at how gentle the curves and inclines were.

Ribbons laced through mountains

Gently gliding us along

Staging panoramic splendors

Like the chorus of a song

Wooing us up higher

In its delicate incline

Sporting occasional precipice

Of heights and depths divine

Inquisitively curving

About its genteel slope and grade

Provoking in us awed applause

Of the wonders He has made

Tulip Poplars

It rained on one of our exploration days, but the forest of giant tulip poplar trees sheltered us and kept the crowds at bay. Tulip poplars can reach 165 feet, with no limbs or foliage until about 80 to 100 feet. 

I thought the rain had come that day
To dampen our regards
But sheltered us in peaceful mists
Baring visible rewards

Embracing us in the quietness
Of those who turned away
Revealed to us the deepest hues of green
A forest could display Towers in the wilderness

Towers in the wilderness
Reaching for the sky
Shelters all that lies beneath
Never asking why

Stoic in their posture

We hide within their strength

They conceal us from the outside world

As we admire them at length 

 

"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made ... " — Romans 1:20

Mountain Rivers

I couldn't help but admire the gently flowing river that seemed not to care about the world. It simply babbled over the rocks and carried on to its destination.

Oh gentle babbling brook of mine

What is it that you say

Caring nothing of the obstacles

Like boulders in your way

To tumble in abandon

To a place unknown

How is it that you carry on

Chattering without groan

 

Clingmans Dome

Clingman's Dome is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and in Tennessee. On a clear day, you can see up to 100 miles in any direction. We hiked a steep 1/2-mile trail to the top. 

"Every Happening, great and small, is a parable whereby God speaks to us, and the art of Life is to get the message." — Malcolm Muggeridge.

A God Moment

When we came down from Clingman's Dome, my husband surprised me with an anniversary ring featuring our birthstones and a diamond in the center. He told me he wanted the diamond at the summit of the ring to represent God. I couldn't help but notice the setting was shaped like the mountain roads we had traveled. 

When we got home, I looked out over our deck and noticed the same flowers (blue asters) growing next to one of the deck posts. On approximately 80 acres of land, I hadn't seen them anywhere else on my property.

A match made in heaven

A snapshot from above

Displaying heavenly romance

And set in frames of love

Captivating beauty

A glimpse of the divine

Packaged in the moments

Of experience and design

Invitation to the splendors

That reflect His majesty

Oasis from the storms of life

Held in silent Reverie

Mammoth Caves Kentucky

On our way home, we decided to visit Mammoth Cave National Park, home to the world's longest-known cave system. Interestingly, our vacation took us to great heights and depths, reflecting the season of life we were in then. 

From the top of royal pinnacles

To the world below

Contrasting in its images

Realities to show

Illuminated peaks of green

Bathed in limitless light

Darkness one can't comprehend

Obscuring every sight

The silence of the mountaintop

Invites a Holy hush

The quiet angst within the cave

Urges me to rush.

Green River Ferry Ride

My husband was much more interested in caving than I was, so I decided to take a ferry ride on the Green River. Because it was at the end of the tourist season, there were only two other people and me, so the guide turned off his microphone and let us sit up front. I just enjoyed the view while he quietly shared a few interesting points about the river. The river is green because of limestone, not algae. Anyway, it was a perfect way to cap off a much-needed respite from life's storms. 

My eyes are bathed in shades of green

Soothing my despair

Tranquil reflections of the world above

Erasing all my care

The stillness and the calm it speaks

Whispers in my ear

To leave behind my anxious thoughts

Regretfulness and fear

A random fact: Ergonomically speaking, green is the most soothing color for the eye. Some hospitals use green in their patient room designs and in surgical clothing with this in mind. It's by design, as recorded by the psalmist in the 23rd Psalm.

"He makes me to lie down in green pastures"

© 2011 Tamarajo