Category: the marsh

The marsh

Ian Hunter1 Comment

Betwixt dry land and the brackish eastern shore bays

Lies a place where human footsteps are unwelcome

A no-mans land invaded twice daily by tidal water

Drenched vegetation thrives

A haven for wild birds seeking food and shelter

Sturdy grasses cover these wetlands

Changing colors with the seasons

Lavish green in warm summertime

Brown is the fashion for cold winter and spring months

Occasionally snow covered

Frequently lashed by high winds  

Still air hovers between gentle breezes

Shrubs anchor to the ever soaked floor

Welcome to nature’s water treatment factory

Mussels cling to the fragile shoreline

Crabs feed in the shallow pools

Small fish hide from hungry birds

Ospreys swoop in to grab nesting material

Black snakes patrol in search of unsuspecting rodents

Ticks crawl onto any passing mammal

Mosquitos emerge to seek out blood

The dreaded green-head flies attack with no mercy

Bullfrogs sing through the night

Raccoons wander around looking for trouble

Herons strut to their favorite ambush place

Noisy geese invade the silence

A fascinating place to visit and observe

Constantly threatened by development and pollution

Watched over and protected by the Assateague Coastal Trust 

This is the marsh

a slow motion foggy time warp

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Photo by Karol Wiu015bniewski on Pexels.com

dense fog stealthily crept over the marsh 

a thick grey mist blanket wrapped around every tree

stealing away my view of the bay

no morning sunrise spectacle today

we are living in a ground hugging cloud

everything outside is saturated

decorating the spider web with silver beads

his once invisible traps now fully exposed

the spider will go hungry today

the birds stopped singing in protest 

the silence is eerie

no watermen on the bay

crab pot harvesting is on hold

until the warming sun burns through the cool fog

there is nothing to do but wait

but the lingering fog is slowing down time

stalling the arrival of the sun

the hands on the clock are hardly moving at all

I am stuck in a slow motion foggy time warp

Marsh Disco

Ian HunterLeave a comment

A stiff breeze over the bay this morning

Occasional gusts initiate the wind chimes in our yard

Their gentle notes carried along by the wind

The reflective chime sail is the marsh disco ball

Giving the signal that the marsh disco is now open

Ripples on the bay speed over the surface

Fast moving dancers skidding across the floor 

Hitting the marsh with a rhythmic slapping spray

Imitating a drunk disco dancer spilling his drink

The trees stand firm and just rock to the music

Leaves flickering remind me of sequin clad twirling disco dancers

Tree limbs bounce up and down doing the mosh pit pogo

Tree tops sway mimicking an aging arthritic hippie disco dancer

Her feet firmly planted on the floor

Fluorescent leg warmers hide her skinny limbs

Wrinkled smile glued to her over tanned and over make up well travelled face 

The marsh grasses lurch about erratically in all directions

Playing the parts of young crazy acrobatic disco dancers 

Desperately trying to outmoonwalk each other 

Inhibitions of youth suppressed by cheap booze and fake pills

Deer cross the marsh disco dance floor cautiously

Pausing to look and listen for danger with nostrils flared into the breeze

Sniffing for any trace of predatory human disco dancer scent

Seemingly oblivious of the disco around them

But a wagging white tail confirms they are dancing too

An eagle soars over the marsh disco flapping his wings to the slow beat

Mr Owl sits in a tree surveying the marsh disco below

He is a wall flower watching all the fun while motionless

Until he picks up the beat and his head does the twist

Suddenly the wind drops and the chimes go silent

Everybody stops dancing instantly

The marsh disco is done for now

Neighbors briefly make eye contact

Sobering up quickly from the marsh disco intoxication 

Wondering if they looked silly while they were marsh disco dancing

Nervously looking down at their own feet to avoid further eye contact

Praying for the next song to play soon

The silent pause in the marsh disco seems eternal

Marsh feet start shuffling side to side in anticipation

Suddenly the wind chimes sound again bringing smiles to all the marsh faces

And the whole marsh is once more dancing at the marsh disco

The ballerinas exit stage left

Ian Hunter2 Comments

the marsh is wearing its spring green colors

early morning sunlight falls on the bay

shimmering ripples explode in unison

flickering over the surface in the cool breeze

millions of tiny ballerinas enter stage left

all clad in silver to reflect the sunlight

dancing over the water for the sheer joy

of being alive on this beautiful spring day

its an amazing spectacle

the marsh is mesmerized

a passing cloud rudely interrupts the dance

the ballerinas exit stage left

marsh dwellers whisper in unison

encore encore encore

the sun brushes the cloud aside

the ballerinas enter stage left

magical dancing continues until the sun gets up high

the ballerinas exit stage left

silent applause erupts over the marsh

bravo bravo bravo

we all patiently await tomorrow’s performance

My perfect mind medicine

Ian Hunter1 Comment

Calm waters on the bay

Soothing

Relaxing

My mirror to the sky

Paddle boarder

Gliding by

Floating ballerina

Stroking the water

She sends out ripples

My mirror is broken

Disrupting my peace

My second sky shimmers

Paddle boarder gone

If the bay can calm itself

I can calm myself

My mirror to the sky returns

Calm waters on the bay

Soothing

Relaxing

My perfect mind medicine

Millions of unwelcome guests

Ian Hunter2 Comments

water constantly shapes the landscape 

millions of miniature mystical molecules mingling and meandering

changing temperatures dictate their collective state of mind

they can either float in the sea, run on the land, sleep in a bed of ice or fly in the sky

one day the bay was frozen

the next it was all melted

surface waters could once again invite the wind to dance

together they skipped all over the bay like kids running from school

sad soggy brown grasses reemerged from the snow blanket

animals returned to forage after a frozen fast

birds flew in a snowless sky

fish jumped to taste the warm air

the bay woke slowly from its chilling slumber

its freed waters resumed their wandering with tides and winds

evaporating water molecules were trapped by warm air

millions of unwelcome molecular guests hovered over the bay to make fog

without caring, they mischievously schemed to blot out my view of the sun and sky

eventually the sun intervened in this dispute

banishing them all up into the clouds

to rain on somebody else’s distant parade

water is the paint on the landscape canvas

the artist’s brush never stops moving

his imagination is endless

I will forever be in awe thanks to his infinite supply of paint

The forlorn dawn

Ian Hunter3 Comments

Monday morning

constant yawning

long stretch

toothbrush fetch

showering quick

dressing slick

looking outside

hollow pride

boo hoo

no view

sunrise stolen

anxieties swollen

dense fog

mind agog

talking aloud

low cloud

forecasters fools

humidity rules

opening door

moisture galore

everything soaking

no joking

fog disdain

invisible rain

cushions wet

clouds sweat

foggy pollution

seeking solution

sunshine prayer

over there

orange glowing

fog going

sunshine winning

start grinning

fog disappearing

horizon reappearing

stolen dawn

returns forlorn 

The marsh

Ian Hunter3 Comments

Betwixt dry land and the brackish eastern shore bays

Lies a place where human footsteps are unwelcome

A no-mans land invaded twice daily by tidal water

Drenched vegetation thrives

A haven for wild birds seeking food and shelter

Sturdy grasses cover these wetlands

Changing colors with the seasons

Lavish green in warm summertime

Brown is the fashion for cold winter and spring months

Occasionally snow covered

Frequently lashed by high winds  

Still air hovers between gentle breezes

Shrubs anchor to the ever soaked floor

Welcome to nature’s water treatment factory

Mussels cling to the fragile shoreline

Crabs feed in the shallow pools

Small fish hide from hungry birds

Ospreys swoop in to grab nesting material

Black snakes patrol in search of unsuspecting rodents

Ticks crawl onto any passing mammal

Mosquitos emerge to seek out blood

The dreaded green-head flies attack with no mercy

Bullfrogs sing through the night

Raccoons wander around looking for trouble

Herons strut to their favorite ambush place

Noisy geese invade the silence

A fascinating place to visit and observe

Constantly threatened by development and pollution

Watched over and protected by the Assateague Coastal Trust 

This is the marsh