Heart Of The Universe

A sense of wonder is the cornerstone of wisdom.

Some years ago my daughters, wife and I hike the Trail of Ten Falls in Silver Falls State Park, Oregon. We pause in awe at each cascade, enraptured by the soul-stirring quietude of plunging water.

My younger daughter, an avid and creative photographer, captures one such moment where my imagination takes flight—an image worth a thousand words. It is a moment where my curiosity soars and mind opens with a humble desire to understand the depths of the universe and profound mysteries of Creation.

As I look back and recapture the feeling at said milestone in my life-long journey of self-discovery, I wholeheartedly reaffirm my enduring resolve never to lose my sense of wonder—the key that unlocks a sublime compass, which guides my heart and soul’s quest for meaning in life towards the heart of the universe.

© Ilija Lukić 2026

Heart Of The Universe

On the Trail of Ten Falls in Silver Falls State Park, Oregon (photo by Lea Ciceraro)

Inconstant Moon

Thunder Moon reigns mid Dog Days of Summer,

Stirs dark winds of fate to push me astray,

Yet, sways me to follow my heart’s drummer,

While Dog Star in night skies shows hallowed way.

© Ilija Lukić 2026

Inconstant Moon

Waning gibbous stage a day or two after July's full Moon aka Thunder or Buck Moon

In Search Of Earth's Wild Rhythms

An afternoon hike through Oregon woodlands takes me to the bouldered shoreline of a shallow lake formed by human touch near the head waters of Mud Creek, a tributary of the Salmon River. Sublime quietude fills the air. Across the distant skyline, the regal mask of Mount Hood defined by glacial ice belies the quiet giant’s fiery past.

Late afternoon sunlight, whispers of clouds and ethereal vapors across densely wooded foothills add to the poetry written by the silvered countenance of Trillium Lake. My spirit soars. My imagination takes flight on lively winds that descend from the ice-clad slopes of the sleeping fire mountain to play with lake waters. My body reacts with brief shrivers in defiance of the crisp, yet refreshing breeze.

Out on the water, a lone fisherman’s prayer enjoins the wind-driven wavelets to abet his angling exploits. In mind’s eye, I appreciate his sincere whispers of endearment—albeit clad in ulterior motives—to denizens of the silvery realm.

© Ilija Lukić 2026

Earth's Wild Rhythms

Trillium Lake near Mt Hood, Oregon

Trillium Lake Soliloquy

Hark, sleeping fire mountain rouse my heart,

Cause contemplation, pensive heart to soar,

Till inward glimpse upsets life’s apple cart

And spills uncharted wisdom at heart’s door.

© Ilija Lukić 25

Soaring Soliloquy

Trillium Lake and Mt Hood, Oregon c.2005

Sanctuary Of Sustenance

In the aftermath of an hellacious late-summer deluge, a decades-old and weatherbeaten barn once again proves worthy of praise as a sanctuary for bounties harvested with relentless toil and unyielding faith in the soil of the Llano Estacado Plateau—a fitting monument to the grit and perseverance of intrepid farmers on said tablelands north of Clovis, New Mexico.

© Ilija Lukić 2026

Life After The Deluge

Barn at N Prince St and Curry County Rd 14, on Northside of Clovis NM c. 2006

Divine Clay

We’re mere jars of clay

     Shaped by divine hand,

Purposely flawed,

     Yet refuge for the soul,

Where our inner light

     On divine command

Can heal mortal clay

     At faith’s water hole.

© Ilija Lukić 2026

Divine Clay

San José de Gracia churchyard on the High Road to Taos in Las Tampas NM, c .2010

Celestial Gifts

Lend ear, take to heart unalienable rights—

Divinely granted, irrevocable.

Let freedom of conscience take to new heights

Your personal journeys on life’s timetable.

See life’s bed of thorns not as cross to bear,

But as champion of truth that wakes pipe dreams... 

Purges hearts of deceit and pride’s fanfare

To usher humility in on moonbeams.

Pride’s bitter pill lays bare profound insights,

Endowed with divine favor they sway the heart,

Align core truth with clarity of spirit,

Unveil higher truths—ignite soul’s jump start.

Cultivate inner peace, when life’s seems adrift...

Said vessel set sail as celestial gift.

© Ilija Lukić 2025

Bed Of Thorns

Cholla cactus rose on Llano Estacdo Plateau east of Clovis NM

Great Expectations

Quiet, intimate moments—a confession of love, a gentle word of encouragement, an unspoken understanding, self-reflection, a spark of inspiration triggered by beauty in the natural world or human interactions—are often the catalysts for ambitions, hopes and dreams that blossom into bright futures filled with love, positivity and life changing achievements. Said achievements rarely start with bluster or thunderous roar. Tender whispers are the seeds of great expectations.

© Ilija Lukić 2026

Tender Whispers

Llano Estacdo prickly pear cactus rose (photo-impressionism)

Luna Moth Soliloquy

Dark foundling stone invites mid-summer dream,

Whispers of moonlight on wings of night air

That find respite on said stone, it would seem,

When artist spills heart with brush, green hues and flair.

© Ilija Lukić 2026

Poem was inspired by pebble art painting of luna moth by friend Edythe Hogan of Digby, Nova Scotia province on eastern coast of Canada

Whispers Of Moonlight

Phantom Of The Forest

For a decade a pair of red-shouldered hawks (buteo lineatus) have claimed and defended our back-forty as their nesting territory. These ambush hunters are small forest raptors—about the size of a crow, with a three-foot wingspan. When in pursuit of small mammals, frogs, lizards, snakes and large insects, these graceful aerialists thread through the understory of towering woodland canopies with ease—before swooping down powerfully to surprise and snatch their prey.

Based on past concurrent sightings of the pair, I’m fairly certain this is the male. In this broad-winged hawk species, males are noticeably smaller than females. This makes size the most obvious characteristic to distinguish between the sexes, since plumage is identical.

© Ilija Lukić 2026

Red-shouldered Hawk

On Cobble Ridge in Pittsboro NC

Summertime Blues

When listless heart suffers endless malaise,

Embrace bolder rhythms of summer days;

Then...lingering gloom will vanish, leastways,

From mood crushed by life’s tortuous maze.

© Ilija Lukić 2026

Dog Days Of Summer

Jordan Lake NC from ranger station overlook

Wild Burros Of Ned Houk Park

Wild burros tend to be solitary animals with legendary endurance. Their sure-footedness allows them to navigate unforgiving terrain. With evolutionary origins that trace back to the arid regions of North Africa—they survive on minimal forage and water—which makes them well-suited for environments of the American Southwest.

The working bond between humans and burros started some 5,000 years ago. The symbiotic relationship continued with Spanish explorers, conquistadors and missionaries, who introduced burros to the New World in the 16th century. The working equines played an important role as pack and draft animals during the exploration and settling of remote areas.

In time, miners and prospectors during the 19th century Gold Rush relied on descendants of these amiable beasts to carry heavy mining supplies. When mining booms ended some burros escaped, others were abandoned or released—the hardy animals survived and established wild, free-roaming herds. Along with wild horses, the wild burros are protected under statues of New Mexico law.

© Ilija Lukić 2026

Llano Estacado Two-Step

Wild burros on Ned Houk Park rangelands north of Clovis NM

Canadian River Plain

The sweeping expanse of the Canadian River Plain whispers of a world before the dawn of mankind. Seemingly uncorrupted solitude, a sprawling horizon and a sea of grass under eternal blue skies disguise any footprint of humanity.

Before the arrival of Europeans and later American settlers, widely dispersed indigenous tribes dominate the pristine wilderness—known as Our People’s Land among Comanches. The horse-cultures of Comanche and Kiowa are quintessential nomadic hunter-gatherers of the Southern Great Plains. Their age-old, intimate knowledge of the plains is legendary. Their reverence for the animals and rhythms of  the grasslands is spiritual. Understanding habits of gregarious herd animals like American bison and pronghorn antelope—especially on migrations to summer grazing grounds—is a cornerstone of their survival and culture.

The Canadian River watershed spans 1,000 miles across Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma. At an elevation of 4,000 feet, vast stretches of the timeless landscape in New Mexico remain minimally tamed by human hand.

From my vantage point on the northern precipice of the Llano Estacado Escarpment, the plain still appears unspoiled by civilization. Ten miles to the north and swallowed by the expanse is the village of San Jon—population 195—a waypoint on the historic Route 66. These days Interstate 40 parallels “The Mother Road” and links the village with the bustling town of Tucumcari, New Mexico to the west and Amarillo, Texas to the east.

© Ilija Lukić 2026

Canadian River Plain

At Llano Estacado escarpment near Wheatland NM

In Pursuit Of Stillness

Life has ups and downs,

     Which complement each other—

Wise heart finds balance

© Ilija Lukić 2026

The Yin And The Yang

Pearl of dew on flower leaf in Clovis NM c. 2011

Embracing Spontaneity

Fear casts long shadows

     Be bold, step into life’s light—

Why not seize the day?

© Ilija Lukić 2026

Step Into The Light

Aftermath of monsoon rains on Staked Plain near Clovis NM

Beyond The Veil Of Time

At 4,600 feet of elevation, the northern boundary of Llano Estacado tablelands is a rugged escarpment dotted with piñon pines and junipers. In some places caprock crowns steep cliff faces. In others alluvial fans ease into the majestic sprawl of the Canadian River basin sweeping into boundless beauty of the open horizon.

At the break-over edge of the escarpment, I pause my day trip to San Jon, New Mexico on a roadside overlook at Harguess Hollow Park—minutes north of Grady. My imagination takes flight and I purposely give mind’s eye free rein to roam the river plain during the time-shrouded days of yore.

 

Right away I acknowledge the history of the arid grasslands. They are dynamic, ancestral territories of Comanches, Apaches and Kiowa tribes. But, the sublime beauty and allure of faraway vistas beyond the veil of the known also fires imaginations of 17th century Spanish explorers in search of treasure. Later European settlers and explorers use the river corridor as an east-west passage to reach Santa Fe NM and California.

The inhospitable, semi-arid plain—dominated by blue grama, buffalograss, galleta, sideoats grama and little bluestem—also challenges travelers with thorny indigenous flora. Distinct personal experiences with bayonette-like yucca leaves, barbed cholla spines and horse-crippling prickly-pear cactus spikes allow me to relate to their physical torment. 

On closer reflection, I find that adversity and struggles on the trail often sow seeds of contentment. Like the serenity of a high plains sunrise with the aroma of sage on the first breath of daybreak...or putting a grueling day to rest on a wisp of honey mesquite smoke gently curling through chill evening air, whispering promises of a delicious campfire meal.

© Ilija Lukić 2026

Playground Of Wind, Rain And Sun

Harguess Hollow Park overlook near amphitheater north Of Grady NM

Ft Stanton Chapel

Established in 1855, Ft Stanton is one of the most intact 19th-century military forts in the American West. It’s located in the outlaw Billy the Kid’s old neck of the woods near Lincoln, New Mexico. Nestled in a national forest, it’s been a base of operations in conflicts with Mescalero Apaches, saw action during the Civil War, as well as the Lincoln County Wars. In 1899 President McKinley repurposed the fort into one of the first federal tuberculosis sanatoriums. Then, during WWII the facilities served as a detention center for German and Japanese Americans.

The Spanish mission-style, Catholic chapel once stood near the post hospital wing before a stone-by-stone relocation to its present area in the 1940s. Throughout the years humble faithful, but also skeptics with spirits worn thin and hearts frayed by life’s tribulations, have found divine solace and a quiet harbor of comfort within the sanctuary's walls.

© Ilija Lukić 2026

Catholic Chapel

Ft Stanton State Historic Site in New Mexico

High Hopes

Field of broom snakeweed sets broad plain aglow,

While weathered yucca spires reminisce

Cherished springtide on said flowered plateau—

High hopes reign far and wide, not hit or miss.

© Ilija Lukić 2026

High Hopes

Yucca skeletons mid broom snakeweed on Llano Estacado prairie east of Clovis NM

Staked Plain Reverie

Two friends and I are on an afternoon ride through waist-high shortgrass prairie of Rockin’ P Ranch open range near Broadview, New Mexico. The gentle, smooth and rhythmic pace of a relaxed flat-footed walk by my stallion named Trouble allows me to drift into reverie about the wonders of vast Llano Estacado grasslands. Afterwards, I wax poetic.

My spirit soars when eye to eye

     With Tasiwóo on Staked Plain;

Where red-tailed hawks rule azure sky

     And spadefoots trumpet summer rain.

Where pronghorn flash rumps on the fly

     And cougars prowl escarpment chain;

Where sandhill cranes lift hearts on high

     And prairie dogs build their domain.

Where milkweed hosts monarch fly-by

     And cholla adds flair to terrain;

Where lark song thrills, moods fortify

     And swallows are life's weathervane. 

Where horned toads squirt blood from their eye

     And stink bugs spray pungent refrain;

Where coon-tail buzz stops heart well-nigh

     And swift fox threads cactus chicane.

Where sunset skies God glorify,

     And monsoon rains can be insane;

Where Blue Northers cause hue and cry

     And lazy Moon croons gentle strain.

Where dry-land crops barely scrape by

     And sand dunes impede life’s fast lane;

Where coyotes play in sage waist-high

     And nature’s marvels give heart free rein.

Where starlit skies draw eyes sky high   

     And soul surrenders, it’s germane;

 Reverence brims storehouse of mind’s eye— 

      Life on the plain is not mundane.     

© Ilija Lukić 2026

Staked Plain Reverie

Self-portrait during cowboy days c. 2012