Challenges abound
Synchronizing efforts and destinations
Aboard a tandem kayak
Sitting in a pool of brackish water
Grey clouds blanketing overhead
We enter the mangrove tunnel
Camera in hand
Ready to snap any birds
Who might be silly enough
To stop by on this chilly Florida morning
Arriving in the dark of predawn
Certain the sky would open up in flames of beauty
at any minute
precisely as forecast.
We paddle through the mangrove tunnel
Within five minutes
The grey sky darkens menacingly.
I draw my camera under my tee shirt
As the clouds begin to empty
Drops now pelt down upon us,
Sadly, I reach for the dry bag
The camera goes away.
The water filled seat
Is getting harder, colder
I push my life jacket beneath me
We paddle on
Any animals present in that mangrove forest
Are likely getting a good belly laugh
At those crazy humans.
Laminated map in hand
I attempt to navigate
But within our group of 4,
There are as many opinions as options
As to how to maneuver through the maze
Tom suggests I put down the map
And just enjoy the ride
See where the water takes us!
Released from the chain of expectation
I am free of worry
I go where the water beckons.
The sky clears
Well, not totally
But the rain stopped
My arms and paddle silently shout
Look!! Stop!! Hush!!
A really big bird in amongst the trees
There he goes . . .
We paddle on
Around the next corner
He is waiting for us
Perched on a branch above us
Unconcerned
The Great Blue Heron!
His eyes are fixated on the water below
A wading bird
Of majesty and beauty
A treasure found in the mangrove forest
Raining on/off
Wet now – not caring
Watching, waiting
Free to explore
In this world of nature.
We laugh
We paddle
We carefully step out of the kayak
Amongst the mangroves
Shifting our weight,
Stretching our legs.
Two hours have passed
How did that happen?
My soul is singing with delight
This is my happy place
But it is getting colder, darker, wetter
Our journey takes us out of the maze
And we head back
But more excitement lurks high overhead
An osprey on her nest
We move to mangrove’s edge
Lodged within the roots
I snap picture after picture
When I hear a rustling sound
There beside me is a Little Green!
She is making her way across the roots
Head down – fishing
Seemingly unaware of human danger
I watch in awe and joy
Thank you, Mangrove Forest,
For sharing your life with me!
Patricia O’Connor
2024
Who Are You?
Your swells crash against the metal hull
I sit behind glass a good 30 feet above your surface
Yet the spray you spit as you crash
Causes white out visibility at my window
I wonder, what angered you
Where did your peaceful, serene blue go to?
You rant and rave
Seemingly pulling power up from 3,000 feet below
Your surface raises into mountains of deepest gray
Growing higher and higher
Until the rounded tops crest and roll forward
With furies of foam rushing forward.
Is it anger or merely strength
That pierces my being
Igniting fear
Is power always something to be feared?
The raging waters speak to me of violence
With their endless pounding, crashing and exploding
Spraying onto verandahs decks above.
Yet, when your fury meets resistance
There are glimmers of beautiful blue
Peaking out amid the foam and spray
Your surface is a sea of chaos
But deep within you
There exist delicate creatures
Swimming undisturbed
So, ocean, who then are you?
A furious power attempting to eject all on your surface
A gentle, nurturing home
Or, maybe, merely a living body
Existing as best able
Responding to atmospheric circumstances
With no intent for harm?
We, after all, are merely guests
So, though your lunging and mountainous rolls
Play with my heart, disturb my equilibrium
And destroy my peace
I must remember
I am a guest
My job is to learn to roll with you
Not to question your inherent nature.
Slowing Down
Slow me down, Lord
Ease the pounding of my heart…
This has been my prayer for decades
Hurrying is a tough habit to break
But so important to at least tame
For when you always hurry
Your focus is narrow
Eyes on the next goal post
No passing Go
No collecting a Hundred Dollars
You do not pause to embrace the sunrise
Or be awestruck by the plant’s new buds
Or the cardinal bringing color to the grey tree
Or the child overflowing with mirth.
My challenge to self for 2024
Is to allow myself
To Move through life
More slowly
With eyes wide open
Savoring the beauty and wonder
All around me.
Happy New Year!!
Take Your Time
"Take your time"
Such kind words
To speak to a harried postal clerk
Facing a line out the door
They give at least a brief reprieve
From complaints
A moment to breathe
Take your time
TAKE it
Do not throw it away
Into the waste basket of frustration and impatience
Sitting in line at the bank drive thru
The words came back to me
This is time
It is my time
Taking it would mean savoring, treasuring this time
I opened my eyes to see the world
The barren trees dripping glistening droplets
The grey sky with just a hint of blue
The wreath hanging festively on the nearby residence
Joy crept its way into my heart
Beauty enveloped my soul
Before I knew it, it was my turn
I smiled sincerely as I greeted the teller
I had taken my time
She apologized for the wait
No problem, Truly No problem!
As the calendar turns the page, may we all Take Our Time!
Happy New Year!
Cleanse Me
Wipe the crust from my eyes
Clear the windows of my soul
Open my eyes to see
Truly witness
The majesty of creation
The ocean
Powerful mountains of salty liquid
Racing across the surface
Capped with toupees of white
Blown off as they go!
The vastness
Only ocean, sky, clouds
Deepest blue enhanced with grey
Topped by robin’s egg sky
Decorated with mounds of meringue
Beneath that rolling sea
Exists a living world
May it remain
May it sustain
So many lives dwelling within
Plants, animals – microscopic to gargantuan
Baleen whales thriving on diets of tiniest plankton
The miracle of life’s cycle
Played out in harmony
All held within this liquid home
May we treasure it
May we respect it
May we learn from it.
Hope in the New Day
It begins
As mere suggestion
Lying etched radiant orange on the horizon
Giving a hint of early dawn to sky above
The hovering clouds
Black, ominous
Float above
The sky to the south and north still sleep in
Darkness is all around
As the suggestion of dawn whispers
On the horizon across the ocean
The brush stroke of color at the intersection of sky and ocean
Slowly stretches its arms awake
Spreading color above and aside
The black, voluminous mass
Is now etched with brilliant white
The forward clouds defining themselves as soft, white, downy pillows
As the backdrop begins to release the night
The sky morphs from black to grey to slate blue
As orange brushes higher toward the heavens
The dance of dawn continues
As a beam of orange shoots across the sea
Its origin – a globe of brilliance
Radiating light
Announcing the new day
Day has overtaken the night once again!
When our lives are dark,
Morning seemingly lost, unreachable
Let us look to the sky for Hope
That someday, somewhere
Dawn will creep in.
Let the radiance penetrate your being
And illuminate the darkness.
Imagine
Imagine
A world without war
A home without strife
A gun without ammunition
A voice without disdain
A message without scorn
Imagine
A life without hate
A storm without destruction
A highway without collisions
A field without ticks
A rose without thorns.
There are moments
There are places
There are chapters of our lives
When we can imagine
As our path is smooth, our waters placid.
In these times
We give thanks.
Gratitude not guilt.
We give thanks
And absorb the peace we experience
So as to share
To drop our pebble of peace
And lend ripples
To the ocean of the world.
Then there are moments
When, despite the pain
Despite the suffering and destruction
Which swirl around
We still know peace
We hold tightly to that kernel
Of light, hope and love
Which resides
Deep within
Yet fills our being
Quietly, with certainty.
This peace we find
Can also be dropped into the pond.
Pebbles of compassion
Create ripples of love
A healing salve for our troubled world.
Imagine.
Autumn Garden
As I look out over the autumn garden Sadness clings to me Like the petals of the fading marigolds Time for bed Life cannot go on without rest I whisper my thanks As I place a layer of mulched leaves Giving cover to the tired soil I give thanks for our summer mornings together Me observing the growth Helping in any way possible Removing dead leaves, Picking off dangerous insects Awed by the mystery Witnessing seedling, once seed, take root and flourish Soil offering all it has, Rain giving sustenance. Me, supplementing when needed Thankful for clean water And my dad’s hose. But today, The freezer is stocked The Ball jars filled and sealed And the last of the tomatoes Are ripening on their tray As the woodstove takes away The autumn chill Water will not restore health Soil cannot nurture the dying plants The season has ended. With gratitude for all the meals, All the joy I whisper my thanks to the garden As I bid it adieu and good night!
The Gift of Trees
I admire trees The manner in which they bend As winds howl through And what once seemed immobile Sways like a dancer Moving to and fro with grace In choreographed precision With the forest of partners In its company I admire trees The way they stand proudly Naked, grey, their true winter selves Reaching for the sky Ready to bend without notice Housing insects and birds Giving homes for free Arms always reaching out Open and inviting I admire trees Drinking deeply Through their anchored roots Sending messages within the ground They survive Even thrive And offer gifts Their fruits nourishing the world Their shade given in the summer’s heat Their toes holding earth Keeping erosion at bay Their sap sweetening life I admire trees Evergreens, oaks, birch, maple, elm, and beech The list goes on They live together Harmoniously Creating forest abode For creatures of the land and sky They drop their leaves at season’s end Nurturing soil beneath Without complaint They pass through the seasons Death, Rebirth, Creative Life, Waning Days The cycle repeats As apparent death holds life within I admire trees They teach me to trust There is more to life Than my eyes behold.
Shattered Silence
Sitting on cool granite Sun streaming warmth upon me Capturing an image of a stalwart baby pine Relishing the peace The beauty The generous gifts of nature I drink deeply of healing mountain air Startled then Panting Rapid panting A warm body pressed against my back Wetness now on the back of my arm Twisting my neck Only to see a snout, Brindle coat wrapped tightly Encasing protruding ribs She was not seeking attention in the way of other dogs But neither was she acting aggressively She just kept returning Seemingly wanting proximity Remaining nearby A black lab joined her Antennae attached to a collar Hip bones visible through midnight coat Panting Asking for what? Petting seems foreign to them both Neither good nor bad Not insisting upon nor rejecting They remain nearby The lab choosing to squeeze between my friend’s chair and mine Again, and again. Choosing confined space Over the open acres surrounding us on this mountain Eventually she responds to touch Leaning in, asking for more Shyly though Garmin collars banded around their necks Working dogs Digging into wet soil Seeking refreshment A truck barrels up the mountain road Our companions respond to a whistle Back to work Be safe my new friends Be safe Shattered Silence Saddened Soul Did they feel love? If only for a moment Did they know love?
Crumbs for the Journey 