50 million light fairies are dancing
Miniature ballerinas prancing
Spinning and skimming over the bay
Bringing joy and happiness on this day
I can see it so it must be true
Sending a message “many blessings to you”
many blessings
Category: the marsh
a slow motion foggy time warp
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 soaking floor
Welcome to natures 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
Dreamy marsh landscape
Waking from a dream
To see this dreamy sunrise
More dreamy than reality
More real than a dream
But if I am not dreaming
To whom do I say thanks
For painting this dreamy marsh landscape
At the foot of my bed
marsh mindfullness
I look out over the marsh daily
people ask me what I see
I could list the many images
but thats not the whole story
I am learning not just to,
observe but to see
listen but to hear
sense but to feel
learn but to discover
I see,
water sometimes calm and other times raging
the sky and the clouds it carries aloft
grasses and shrubs thriving
many animals roaming resting feeding
I hear,
birds singing
frogs croaking
wind rustling
water splashing
I feel,
tranquil
calm
serene
content
I discover,
new things in the marsh daily
the marsh has both simplicity and complexity
my ability to bond with nature
who I am
Cheeky Monkey Poetry 