ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©

Today’s painting is one of the latest finds while going through Paul’s massive collection of work. I believe this was painted in Stillwater, MN, where paddle boats continue to fill their ship with passengers enroute to a tour of the St. Croix River. The boat departs and passes rugged sandstone bluffs which have withstood the sands of time. The chatter of the passengers, the constant whooshing of the paddle cutting through the water and the shouts from the captain to his crew. cut through the silence of a quiet summer day.

The sun lifts its weary head and opens its sleepy eyes,

Casting shadows upon the lake with diamond fireflies.

Water is still, ships stand tall, the air is heavy with mist,

This early summer morning now by heaven has been kissed.

Before the waves show up again, before the fish awake,

A single sail arises and begins to cross the lake.

The peace and quiet solitude will last a little while,

Soon sailing crafts and motorboats will capture a big smile.

The paddleboat waits eagerly for passengers to board,

But when they do, the sounds they make will strike a noisy chord.

When you live in Minnesota, the land of many lakes,

You relish every second of the time that summer takes,

It’s simply a brief whispering of nature’s magic spell,

When God is in the midst of it, we know that all is well.