Distance I've felt miles I've known years Be it "paradise" awash with pretense Though rich canopies persist or "basin" A great river's meander Though long since gone Births persistence I can't compare merits shared Whether basement or hilltop bus stop or wetland I am glad to have found you "That land is a community is the basic concept of ecology, but that land is to be loved and respected is an extension of ethics. That land yields a cultural harvest is a fact long known, but latterly often forgotten."¹