Cascadilla Creek

Cascadilla Creek

On days I'm feeling modern,
I throw a glance at Cascadilla from the safety of my home.
To walk in faith beside it or dip my hand into its life
means leaving me behind, maybe for the final trip.
Minus the shell of thought, how do I keep from fusing with the creek,
its ripples scarcely concealing the rainbowed yet nameless fish,
the rocks privy to millennia and still no word,
the feathery hard-earned mud,
the oak leaves at the bottom adding their wine,
the distillings drawn as if by magnet away,
until they among countless theys merge at last with the lake.


Zorika Petic



Zorika Petic's poems range from nature idyll to moral anguish, from dominion to the solace of land, from the war against nature to the war against ourselves. These wise, luminous poems move us to live within nature's design and find a measure of peace. Our reward will be a renewed sense of belonging.

About the Author

Zorika Petic immigrated to the United States as a refugee following World War II. She grew up in Ithaca, New York, spending much of her childhood on a dairy and horse farm. For many years, she was a writer and editor at Cornell University. She lives with her husband in a rural area of Ithaca.