Mount Bonnell is located in Covert Park in Austin Texas. It is a spectacular place with steep cliffs overlooking Lake Austin and commands great views of the city. History has it that several early Texans committed suicide here to avoid their enemies. It has been a popular tourist spot since the 1850s and is a well-used proposal venue. Recently a visitor accidentally fell off the rim to his death.
Third time to visit Covert Park.
Ring pocketed, hands held, they race,
Climbing Mount Bonnell, clean, stark,
Scented trees, stone steps, a lover’s place.
This, where Antoinette did leap,
Her beloved dead by Indian bands.
Here, Golden Nell and Beau eternal sleep
Jumped off, evading torturing hands.
To west, Austin’s winking downtown,
To east, setting sun behind wild hills.
Both wave to this place of renown,
This park of discordant joys and ills.
Below, lake and lawns, manicured,
An arc of silver water laps in love,
Houses rich and well secured,
Inviting those, gazing, from above.
Children scamper, tempting the rim,
Lovers loiter, enjoying the way,
Old folks amble, eyes dim,
All savor the magic of the day.
Anxious, he drops to bended knee
And asks “Will you marry me?”
© October, 2014, Jane Stansfeld
jstansfeld 
Proposing is a bit like jumping off a cliff – you don’t know if you will land safely or die. I liked the way you brought that in right at the end.
I missed this extra depth, but love your allusion. Thank you..
Love this poem, Jane. Shared on on one of my FB pages.
Thank you, thank you, Louis,. Can I access your FB site?
Jane
Mooselookmeguntic Lake sounds like a mouth-full akin to supercalifragilisticexpialidocious which was added to the English dictionary in 1986! I suspect that Mooselookmeguntic probably has a shortened pop name? It looks great on the web images. I hope that you have an enjoyable outing- perhaps inspiring, another of your beautiful poems?
I don’t recall visiting there in my travels but you have raised my interest through your poem. I’m off to Wikipedia to read up on that location.
This is not surprising> Though Bonnell is listed as a ‘tourist’ spot I suspect that most of the ‘tourists’ are locals. Austin’s out-of-town visitors get the big edifices such as The State Capital, Town Lake, the LBJ Library etc. These are then laced with music venues.
Wonderfully done, love the meter and the story.
Thank you Valentine. It is quite spot!
Very nicely turned verses, Jane, the rhyme pleasant and unstrained, and everything working together, appropriate to your mood and picture, scenic and historical. Co-incidentally, I’m planning a visit to “The Height of Land”, day after tomorrow, overlooking Mooselukmeguntic Lake, in Rangeley, Maine, not far from my home….also a tourist spot with many a tale to tell of Indians and lovers….kudos on a very enjoyable poem!
Mooselookmeguntic Lake sounds like a mouth-full akin to supercalifragilisticexpialidocious which was added to the English dictionary in 1986! I suspect that Mooselookmeguntic probably has a shortened pop name? It looks great on the web images. I hope that you have an enjoyable outing- perhaps inspiring, another of your beautiful poems?