Stream of thought

Temple Stream:

A Rural Odyssey

Bill Roorbach

The Dial Press: 290 pp, $24

Following seasonal milestones -- the summer solstice, autumnal equinox, winter solstice and vernal equinox -- as well as his own ravenous curiosity, nature writer Bill Roorbach introduces readers to his beloved Temple Stream, a small, seemingly insignificant waterway in rural Maine near Farmington.

Adjacent to his cabin, the Temple accommodates industrious beavers, slick frogs, countless birds, scores of fish and muskrats. Its shores harbor minks, poplars, wildflowers, coyotes, foxes and an odd assortment of humans, including Earl Pomeroy, a giant of a man with a grudge against outsiders.

Roorbach focuses on the wonders of this particular stream, crafting haiku from the simplest scenes. For example, after a temporary thaw has refrozen the stream’s surface, he writes: “You hesitate -- it’s like walking on stained glass -- the sound is vandal-loud in the streambed silence.”

Entering Roorbach’s attentive world, we can’t help but witness the natural marvels that surround us -- humans and all.

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Bernadette Murphy