Lake Minnewanka - Water Spirit

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Waves dancing, rollicking, the wind makes your surface flutter,

I take off my shoes, gather spunk, wade into your intriguing water,

My feet numb, the skin shrinks, your frosting bite is hard to endure;

What makes you sparkle like a gem, a beautiful hue of blue?

Is it just the sun light playing with the rock dust in you?

Why are you so cold, so harsh, despite the sun blazing?

Is it the memory of being snow atop mountain freezing?

On the boat cruise, the tour guide regales us with your lore,

The cliffs on two sides look alike, as though images in mirror

It seems you split the mountain apart, in the form of glacier,

Creating an alcove, surrounding which life burgeons galore.

Lush forests of aspen trees, lodgepole pines, spruce and fir,

Furry mountain goats, elks, grizzlies, black bears, mule deer,

Trout, mountain fish, aquatic animals abound in your water,

The Clovis people, an ancient tribe dwelled on your shore

A few centuries back, modern humans arrive in search of new pasture

With guns and swords, they come seeking abundance and adventure

Building a dam to store your water and a resort to vacation on your pier

They called you ‘Devil’s lake’ unable to fathom your mysterious nature

The short lived resort submerges as a new dam makes you bigger and deeper, 

During world war, harnessing your potential hydro power is the need of the hour,

From being a glacier shaping the landscape to running turbines generating power,

Over ages of changes, gathering wisdom, Lake Minnewanka, the spirit of water

Stories, tales, facts about you I gather, hoping to grasp your enigmatic nature,

Are you the wailing spirit, the sad face on the mountain crag weeping tears,

Or you are the waves that dance creating ripples , known to play rough, rise high, 

The more I try, the less I understand you, O mystic Minnewanka, spirit of water.

I close my eyes, look deep inside, I see your blue green color ,

The quartzite dust you gathered sliding down mountain slopes,

Somehow found it’s way inside me, making me a part of you,

O Minnewanka, light reaches inside, revealing me and you.