Anne Shirley’s Lake of Shining Waters has nothing on the Adirondak’s

Placid, Blue Mountain or Racquette;

Breezes send ripples of creamy satin

Shimmering and shining in the sun;

An archipelago of water lilies dots the surface

While the wake of a passing boat sets duck weed to dancing.

When calm, the lakes become mirrors

Conforming as images of their surroundings.

To those who keep their distance, these images are pleasing

For they see only what they want to see;

Surface appearances and no more.

But for those who dare to come close enough,

They may discover a world hidden from first view.

In gazing beyond the looking glass to what can be found there,

Crystal clarity allows for true seeing and the birth of intimacy.

Astonishing beauty abounds;

Much more so than the mere reflections of the surface.

Submergence provides for possible unity

In two worlds becoming one;

But only those who risk the dark depths of the unknown

May come to complete understanding–

Some will begin only to give up

Upon encountering jagged rocks hidden below;

Others will continue beyond

Until injury sends them paddling to the surface once more;

Only for the daring few who descend to the depths

Do hidden treasures dwell in abundance,

Awaiting discovery.