Ben’s Rock

Daily Note

A story of a field trip in spring with students
when the water was a little lower than this

Every day, a photograph, a poem. From the bluff early in January with Guthrie, I snapped this picture of the basalt boulder just at the edge of the lake. I call it Ben’s Rock.

On a geology field trip, this stop in spring with the water a little lower was a typical one. We stopped to see the boulder on a boulder, brought in by the great Missoula Floods. Two recent photos:

And we looked at a few other features, which required walking a bit, which meant being near the lake, which, of course, was off limits. But that little boulder, just a step away was too tempting for Ben. He did not cross the line; he simply hopped over it. It’s the way it is with kids.

And so, the rock is Ben’s Rock to me, and here’s a poem of the story:

Poetry

Ben’s Rock

Along the rocky shore he stepped
Ragged rock to ragged rock
Just a breath from the water
Of which the rules forbid;
Ahead he saw the boulder rest,
Water lapping all around,
Just a step from the path he chose,
And so deftly did he look and step
And hop onto the boulder’s edge,
He raises his arms and with a grin
His teasing voice exclaims,
“I’m not in the water, teacher,”
His eyes sparkling with his win.

Sheri Edwards
01.18.24 018.365.24
Poetry/Photography