Journal September 27 2009 Sunday

Gratitude And Ponderings And Wanderings
A Walk To The River In My Back Yard

1- There are few things I in-joy
more than
hearing the birds sing the sun awake
in the morning
or walking down
to our floating platform
on the river

2- the trees and bushes

create a tunnel

for the path

i am to walk down

3- i pause to look

at the house

with its many faces

of color

blue with yellow trim

peach with turquoise

i delight in the different

combinations of caribbean colors

that paint its different sides/faces

it is a good dwelling place

to come home to

4- the sun shines

through the green

to light the path

i am to walk on

every corner i turn

brings new delights

5- when i look up

soaring pine trees

point like fingers

to Grandfather Sky

Father God

the powers of creation

that designed this world

and set it in motion

6- each twist and turn in the path

reveals a new vista

with its tunneled path

beckoning me

come

come to the river

7- i miss the bamboo

blown away

by some hurricane

/another

8- and still the path

whispers

there's water further on

9- i come to the old rickety
part of the walkway

we took years to build

using delapidated piers

from Dauphin Island

10- I step onto it

remembering its purpose

to give us walkway

over the marshy bog

that covers much of our land

(the part down by the river)

11- the rustic walkway

could be a picture postcard

12- but there came a time

when we realized

we would be old

and have walkers/wheelchairs

before we could finish it

at the rate we were going

13- i step up from
the old rickety part

we built

onto the raised walkway

we hired 2 youths

to build for us

14- this new, raised part

of the walkway

is easier to navigate

and still the path

urges me on

i wonder what

i will see when i follow

its next turn?

15- turning a corner

i can see

the navigation ditch

and a path

that runs straight

far, far into

the marshy bog

i know it's

a long haul

but i can

sense it

will be worth

the travel when

i reach the

end of this

wonder path

16- along the way
i try to capture pictures

of the yellow wildflowers

that grow here

near the path

17- each simple yellow flower

is exquisite in its beauty

18- after a long straight stretch

with another turn

if i look toward the path's end

i can see the sparkle

of the river's water

19- anticipation

and excitement

and expectation

build up

as i pass

through places

where the green

frames the water

like some precious

/priceless painting

in an art gallery

/museum

20- who would think

this rustic huck finn

raft tied to barrels

so it will float

could be so sacred

as to provide sanctuary?

a simple place

where one can be in spirit

uplifted and fulfilled

with the Divine

water, water everywhere

the ripples dancing

in the breeze

21- i can see swan island

a place i can canoe

or swim to

a thin finger of land

separates our body of water

from the main river

with its hoopla

of loud, noisy jet skiers

22- white flowers fill the bushes

that hide us from our neighbors

the water still connects us

ah! our Lady of the water

twinkling like diamonds

in the bright sun's light

if you look closely

on the bottom section

of my backpack

you can see a dragonfly

one always flits

and flutters

and lands on the end of

my bamboo stick

that i use to gently

push aside spider webs

on my walk down to the river

23- yellow flowers (goldenrod)

add their splash of glowing color

to the white and green

24- simple white flowers

with their sunshine yellow centers

grow in profusion

like everyday, ordinary people

(honey bees like these flowers best)

25- i wade into

the mucky bottomed water

at the bank's edge

camera in hand

to try and capture

in a photo

the bright royal red

of an Indian Paintbrush

flower

26- when i go to put the camera

up on the floating raft

i see a bug

with

iridescent

sparkles

in his wings

walking in circles

on the wooden plank

27- his eyes

poke out

like black globes

/worlds

i wonder

what

he

sees?

28- i swim out into the water

and float

in that world famous

davinci pose

my arms and legs

posed in the water

my face

kissed by the sun

29- when i walk back

homeward bound

it is dark

i notice the moon

has drifted her sassy self south

and doesn't shine directly

over my path

even so

her milky white light

shines to show me

how to wind my way home

30- oh the blessings of this day

fill me to the brim

and overflowing

with joyous delight

31- i delight in sharing

my walk down to the river

with you

32- i wish everyone

in the whole, wide world

had a path

in nature

like this one

that could lead them

to sanctuary

bon secour

/safe harbor

33- goodnite!