Walking in Witham Woods
Takes one back
Into Fairfield's past.
Near the round lake
Stands a red piece of stone
With a small square plaque glued on
Which
states
That Lloyd Witham lived between 1911 and 1983.
He devoted his life to Iowa's native trees
And
donated his tree nursery for public use.
So
now people can enjoy hiking
In the shade of the oaks
And see the bitter hickory
And the pecan nuts.
So the mighty
elms and aspen grow.
On the trail leading down to the creek
I once saw cows grazing in the Woods,
Escaped from a neighboring farm.
Now I
find a new fence built on the edge.
Looking down to the near dry stream
I hear some hidden frogs quake loud.
I
turn to walk along a narrow deer trail
Which leads me right
into the wild undergrowth.
Then on my hike, I reach a fresh cleared path
With high thrown walls and filled up dips.
This must have been an old railway line
Abandoned a hundred years ago.
I follow
the line to the other side
Wondering where it must have
led.
This was once the best, fastest link.
I find remains of an old bridge over the creek,
A hidden wall built of square rocks,
Precisely constructed
To carry a heavy load.
~
History is coming alive in Whitham Woods
Where
old Lloyd Witham planted his nursery --
Now gigantic trees
revealing
a heroic past,
With a small square plaque
Glued to a red piece
of stone.