Time always takes a toll on hopes and dreams,
Relentless tides of years pound hearts and souls;
Yet, fortune thrives on the edge of extremes,
Where life builds grit and resolve towards goals.
Nature provides the palette,
Light is the medium,
Hearts are the canvas…
For the poetry of light.
© Ilija Lukić 2026
The physical world brims with colors, textures and endless supplies of subjects for those inclined to capture sublime, timeless fragments of life. Some create photos, others put paint brush to canvas, a handful weave symphonic masterpieces and a few channel said moments into poetry. For most of us who are more casual observers, moments of elation become soul-stirring, singular memories destined for innermost treasure troves that shape our essence.
During the golden hour of a Llano Estacado morning, the quality of light shapes, reveals and brings natural elements to life. It defines our visual experience—how we perceive colors and depth of field, for example. But the interplay of light with the natural world also triggers emotions, It gives rise to feelings and sets moods. The latter influences how we respond to events and interact with people.
A late afternoon sojourn across seas of Llano Estacado grasslands and scattered islands of agriculture circles near Broadview, New Mexico tugs at heartstrings. However, the masterful cultivation of inhospitable high plains tablelands is a double-edged sword. Irrigated crop circles threaten the demise of native grasslands.
Just before sundown the world slips into a palpable silence as the sun takes final bows and settles into the infinity of the western expanse. Lingering light floods the short-grass prairie with amber hues and fond farewell kisses.
Determined to match the drama in western skies, first whispers of night veil the eastern edge of the world and gently buoy dying embers of daylight—a phenomenon known as Rayleigh scattering. A rising Moon, eager for his ordained traverse of a boundless and starlit firmament, melts into said celestial eventide medley. I pause in awesome wonder and drink deeply from the cup of life.
© Ilija Lukić 2026
Minds play games with truth
Wisdom thrives in silent vaults
Time lays bare veiled truth
© Ilija Lukić 2026
The Sandhills on the New Mexico-Texas border near Muleshoe formed some 12,000 years ago, when wind-blown river deposits from the Portales Valley to the west formed sand sheets, dunes and rolling hills. Over time grasses, cacti, mesquite, shin-oak and sage stabilized the delicate ecosystem. The rough-hewn land refuses the plow and sand makes irrigation impossible.
But, in its wild state the prairie easily sustains light cattle grazing and echoes with sounds of yesteryear, as family ranchers and cowboys continue to honor historical practices of tending to the land while eking out a livelihood. My days in the saddle during round-ups, chasing steers across ridge lines and through draws, remain a memorable lifetime of adventures packed into ten years.
(Excerpt from my cowboy poetry penned years ago follows)
Rain rarely falls, but wind does blow.
Dust time and again shrouds azure skies.
Cowboys brave harsh wilds of New Mexico,
Where cattle bawl and the Red-tailed Hawk flies.
Blue skies hold sway, but when Blue Northers blow
They unleash raw squalls from angry skies.
Said High Plains drama in New Mexico
Feeds cowboy-life lore and tall tales likewise.
© Ilija Lukić 2026
At 4,500 feet of elevation the arid tablelands of the Llano Estacado Plateau stretch across some 40,000 square miles of Eastern New Mexico and Panhandle of Texas. Large cattle ranches and irrigation agriculture defy the raw climate and thrive.
Long gone are the indigenous Great Plains horse cultures that lived in harmony with the land. But, sprawling stretches of primal prairie survive. After embracing spring rains the Earth once again laughs in countless arrays of flowers—a stunning awakening on the wheel of life.
© Ilija Lukić 2026
It’s been eleven years since I stopped chasing endless Llano Estacado horizons and kicking up prairie dust in rollicking range herding adventures. I swapped carefree saddle days and open range for more leisurely meanders and rumination about life in verdant Carolina woodlands.
I hung up my spurs and cowboy lid—a wide-brimmed, Cattleman-creased straw hat—yet, mind’s eye often drifts into nostalgic reverie about the short-grass prairie, shin-oak and sage-covered Sandhills on the eastern reaches of New Mexico’s high plains. A spirited American Paint named Trouble was a favored mount…even in my early “greenhorn” days.
(An excerpt from a poem I penned years ago)
Roll out of bed, stumble, it’s o’dark thirty;
Find gloves, don’t forget hat hung on rack;
Grab spurs, slide into boots worn and dirty;
Make tracks in old pickup, dogs in the back.
Saddle up Trouble at first blush of dawn.
The stallion joins Melon Head a red mule
And two weathered cowpokes ‘bout to have fun
With a wide-eyed greenhorn…flat-out old-school.
© Ilija Lukić 2026
Spring stirs in Earth realms
Bright hues sow seeds of summer
Renewed joy brims heart
© Ilija Lukić 2026
Usually located near open water and hunting grounds, an eyrie is a majestic stronghold as well as a lofty cradle of intertwined twigs lined with bark, sod and grasses. Osprey tend to return to the same nest year after year. They repair nests as needed, often resulting in massive feet-deep structures.
Although the sleek raptors seem accustomed to people and recreational activities at Jordan Lake, they are leery of human intrusion. It’s breeding season, a time they are particularly cautious and sensitive to threats near their nests.
© Ilija Lukić 2026
Nature unknots mind filled with confusion,
Her purposeful flourish and verve confirm
Free will is real, yet hints of illusion,
Unchosen choices, both short and long term.
© Ilija Lukić 2026
As bountiful spring blooms, refreshing vernal breezes and dew-kissed mornings yield dominion to unseasonably early summer swelter, body and spirit crave comfort.
Mind’s eye drifts to cool, misty autumn landscapes. In said daydream, every leaf speaks volumes to the heart, wakes memories of flowered hillsides and allows the bright breath of springtide reverie to hearten resilience in sultry climes.
© Ilija Lukić 2026
Feast eyes my friends on nature in her prime—
Dressed to the nines, unabashedly arty.
As Mother Nature exhales one more time,
She woos all creation to her party.
© Ilija Lukić 2026
I am en route to a local store…when a symphony of pleasant afternoon spring airs, wispy clouds brushed across azure skies and nearly calm Jordan Lake waters divert attention from well-laid plans to shop for a new pair of shoes. Could my restless mood, easy diversion from life's routines and newfound energy to wander and explore be spring fever?
The shoreline at Cooper’s Cove beckons. After a meandering hike to Osprey Point, I double back to the cove with frequent pauses to take in and reflect on nature’s offerings of physical and spiritual sustenance. My heart, soul and mind soar as my essence reaches out to a solitary raptor and shorebirds on the wing above placid lake waters.
As in years past, last traces of pine pollen still accent beach sands with warm hues; while once again, baby-green foliage highlights the spring renewal along wooded shores—where mere days ago stark tree skeletons whispered of inhospitable winter nights for man and beast.
Life’s a bumpy ride
Time soothes gnarly encounters
Grace unburdens soul
© Ilija Lukić 2026
Fallen Loblolly Pine needles gently take the edge off the ravages time, elements and the heavy hand of human activity have bestowed on surface roots of the mother tree that nurtured them in their summer heydays. Her majestic canopy reaches defiantly into vernal skies mid whispers carried on spring breezes. I lend ear to her tale about the circle of life, her patience, her resilience and optimism in the face of uncertainty. I allow her message to unburden my soul, reassured that no matter how gnarly the encounters on the road of life…they too will pass.
Dreams wake urgent truths
Hearts harbor said loud whispers
Quiet truth brings peace
© Ilija Lukić 2026
Nearly mile-high, this playa lake is an integral part of the Southern Great Plains biome known as the Llano Estacado—the Staked Plain.
Latest surveys on the Llano place the number of these shallow ephemeral lakes and wetlands somewhere near 30,000—similar to historical estimates. However, impacts of urbanization, agriculture and ranching have altered or degraded their ecological, run-off filtering and aquifer-replenishing functions. They are a dynamic part of the ecosystem and attempts to stabilize them have been ineffective.
Said clay-lined, water-filled depressions collect rains from gully washers and summer monsoons. They are the main surface water source on the semi-arid Staked Plain.
Since time immemorial, the playas have hosted stopovers of migratory geese, cranes and ducks navigating the Central Flyway. The life-sustaining waters also provide habitats for amphibians like toads and salamanders, as well as thirst-quenching oases for diverse species of mammals and feathered high plains wildlife.
© Ilija Lukić 2026
Pale dawn hues on a crisp winter morning,
Dappled shade ‘neath trees on hot summer days,
Cactus roses drenched in dew, yet urging
Bold anthem of praise for scorched, bone-dry ways.
Toward crescent Moon like a starlit stairway,
Send snow-filled squalls and gelid winds howling,
Which piñon and sagebrush greet as child’s play.
Heartfelt laments of White-winged Doves mourning
Bygone days of their arid lands heyday;
Yet human connections, towns and farming,
Keep demise at arm’s length far and away.
Ethereal spirits enticed to play
By flawless rhythms of sun and breeze lingering,
Like whispers of comfort on hope’s causeway.
Cloud burst on rangeland with dark skies churning,
Hushed wings, flight calls from age-old crane flyway,
Shared smiles with strangers that take heart soaring
Like laughter and shouts of children at play.
Primal heartstrings...allows grace to allay
Pained souls and nurture hearts…accepting,
That tribulations need not cause dismay.
Said moments of heart, mind and soul merging
Endure as bridge to famed celestial gateway
And light beacons of hope mid stardust bearing
Divine glimmers—God’s grace—as life’s mainstay.
© Ilija Lukić 2026
