Puget Sound in '89 - (Klueger's Nature w/o)Feb 28 '03 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line No matter how deep our sorrow - nature has a way of speaking to us. The hummingbirds are replaced by Sea Gulls in this essay of mine - to Kathie! I look into the Sound. Silence drones like muted crickets deep within the passages of my spirit. A distant motor boat vies with it for first place in my thoughts. Silence hums an occasional sea gull's cry, then bursts into full song, accompanying the gnawing of a power saw. Soft breezes join the refrain, trilling and tripping, caressing me. Wading gulls, chests high, march proudly across the encroaching surf. Silence again. Hollow bells burrowing into my consciousness. Shadowy sunshine spills over the docks onto the damp, rock-strewn beach. A far-off plane soars above the green tree- encrusted hills, sailing toward lands beyond the emerald-speckled waters. Clouds paint pictures for those who might look up to dream upon them. Way down upon the beach, a child giggles, then cries. Clusters of gulls, pretending to be ducks, pompously straddling the rolling waves and bobbing their heads in unison, chatter in conference together. A tattered old man and his ragged dog wade out into the abyss, slapping a pattern of swirls upon the waters and splashing briskly toward the swells. What will they find? A hope? A fantasy? A memory? A brilliant American flag tenderly pats the sky with stars and stripes. A gull swoops upward, where I yearn to go, yet sadly realize that this is not my time to follow. Flies buzzing. A stray paper whispers secrets to its crumpled shadow. A blue buoy, bobbing mindlessly while lying at rest, yawns and gathers strength to pounce upon the tide. A green boat, weathered and worn, longing for someone to breathe life back into it, sighs into the sea. Faraway laughter mingles with the sighs. . I remember laughing, remember loving. But this is the moment to sit and dangle my feet from the docks of generous, caring people who are sharing their lives with me, who are striving to shelter me into forgetfulness. And -- momentarily -- I do forget. Then my diamond flashes blue, gold and silver teardrops into the shadows on the sand. And I remember. Now, in a rainbow of silence, I see: Sunshine. Sea gulls. Seashells. Shadows. Seaweed-strewn logs. Sparkling rocks. Sandy beaches, garlanded with greenery and grubbery. Slippery pebbles and slicked-down stones with smooth, round edges, nibbled clean by the ever-so-gentle waves. Silence. Ears ringing, aching from soundlessness, reaching for resonance. Off in the haze, the curtains of the fog are lifting, revealing a happy little sea plane skimming across the stage, zooming from hill to hill. Silence laps against my soul. I accept it and become serene within its Splendor, the Splendid Hush of Heaven's Bells. I look beyond the Sound. Lorace ©1989 This is my entry into the nature Writeoff sponsored by Klueger to honor his wife Ahlstromomy during an extremely difficult time in their life. The love they have for one another & their son, Ryan, is exemplary. I wanted to show that the Lord of Nature can speak to us in many ways to calm our hurts & our fears. Please check Klueger’s Page for other entries into this Writeoff.  |
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