Modern Day Pterodactyl

Long, thin feathered fear

Wings outstretched gliding downwards

Will it land on me????

Yes, the other day I was attacked by a modern day pterodactyl!  At least that is what it felt like to me as I was tucked into a ball with my heart pounding trying to escape my chest. 

I was hiking at Fillmore Glen State Park on a lovely cool end of summer day. The Gorge Trail was beautiful and relaxing until…..

in my peripheral vision, I saw something large. I turned to my right and noticed the Great Blue Heron gliding near me. It’s size was impressive. I called out to my husband so he could catch it in its flying glory. Then all of sudden the heron turned towards me and started descending. There was nowhere for this bird to land. The gorge wall was right behind me. My fear of birds erupted through my whole being- WAS IT GOING TO LAND ON ME?????

I turned to go back up the trail but that meant I had to cross a shaky bridge (another one of my fears) and that was NOT going to happen. So I covered my head and bent down. I was just waiting for the heron to crash into me. The next thing I heard was laughter. Yes, laughter!  I looked up to see the heron had turned and was flapping away in the opposite direction- up river and my husband was loudly laughing at my fear induced reactions. Once I realized I was safe, I started laughing too. 

But I will never forget the day I was attacked by the heron or my new name for it the Modern Day Pterodactyl!

(There are no photos of this actual heron as my husband tried to get his camera but was laughing too hard to get it before it flew away. Also, he states that the bridge was very stable- I do not agree!)

Poetry form- Haiku

Photo- this is a heron in flight at a different location- Pymatuning State Park in PA

Beams of Heaven

Beams of heaven                                                          

streak through the evening clouds                

illuminating our country's flag

as it furls and unfurls 

at half-mast

in the gentlest of breezes.

Making me 

pause,

pray,

honor,

thank

the 13 heroes lost in duty.

Sometimes moments that occur in nature make you just stop in your tracks and notice the awe around you. 

This happened to me a few nights ago. I was with a group doing yoga outside at a park. While doing various poses, I was noticing the beauty of the sky- the cloud formations, the various hues of blue. 

Looking up at one moment, the sunbeams were streaming through the clouds and landing on our flag. Parts of the flag were brightened by this light as it waved in the subtle evening breeze. I just stopped.

I really stopped doing yoga with everyone else. It seemed to me that heaven was reaching down through those clouds to welcome home the 13 heroes lost in duty in Afghanistan and to offer comfort to our country. I offered up gratitude for the freedoms I have and for all the military that have stood up to defend these. 

This natural moment of sunbeams falling to earth helped me deal with the emotions of our tumultuous world. I hope it can do the same for you.

Am I that Acorn?

 

Tossing, turning, submerging, floating

Through cresting, crashing rhythmic waves

Cascading towards the shore

Grounded by gritty sand

As water retreats

A voyager

Rests in sun

Stillness

Calm

I was walking along the shore of Lake Ontario earlier this week and came upon a unique voyager on the waves. I stopped to watch as an acorn was batted about on the incoming waves. At times, it was visible, then not. It was upright and then topsy-turvy. Finally, it was deposited on the soaked sands as the waves retreated back into the lake. It’s wet shell glistened in the sun as it lay in stillness surrounded by other trinkets moved by the powerful force of water. I wonder if it was glad to find a resting place.

As I watched this acorn, I realized that I traveled the same path through this last year- being upright then the world being upside down. Being batted around by things out of my control- COVID, masking and social distancing guidelines, school guidelines changing daily, my college kids home then away then home. I felt like I was washed ashore at the end of the school year in June. I was able to just BE in summer stillness soaking up the sun. I had time to surround myself with friends who had made it through too and share our stories and complex feelings. I know that I was extremely glad to find a resting place for a few months this summer. I plan to soak up the last few weeks of just BEING.

Poetry Form: Nonet - a 9 line poem that has 9 syllables in the first line, 8 syllable in the 2nd line and so on. The last line contains 1 syllable.