Crystal Dragons

The Thanksgiving Duck

Thanksgiving Day was approaching
The men all went out to hunt
Mom wanted a great big turkey
They came back with a single duck.
She cleaned, and plucked, and cooked it
With orange sauce and tea ,
Brought it out to the table -
Where sat twenty three…
Her nerves were a little frazzled
She wasn’t sure what to say,
A tiny little duck to serve
Here on Thanksgiving Day.
Then Uncle Bud, with grin so wide
Did break the silence there,
He stood up tall and looked around,
Then sat down in his chair.
"I’m thankful for this bounty
The food’s not great but look!
We have good health - each other,
We’ve kids, and dogs, and books".
Then each in turn spoke up to say
How thankful they each were
For friendships and the blessings
Among the many there.
Somewhere within that laughter,
The talk, the smiles, and such
The dog snuck up and snagged it -
That ‘ol Thanksgiving duck.
But no one seemed to notice,
Their hearts were full you see,
Who cares if dog got lucky
Stuffed full of duck with tea.
Perhaps it’s not the food you eat
Or how you serve the goods
It’s counting all the blessings,
Remembering all the thoughts,
That bring us here together
Whether families or online -
Happy Thanksgiving wishes all!
Have a "bountiful" time.

Waiting for Pie

Flight of a Thousand Geese

They came last night in that time just after sunset. Wave after wave of Canadian geese flying out of the West. Hundreds of them broken into separate groups, heading away from the newly set sun to find a place to settle for the night. I had never seen anything like it, and like a small child I was enthralled. This morning while we were feeding the horses, a sound began to build. The roar of a million people applauding……it was surreal. Like sleepy humans suddenly discovering that they are late for work, the geese rose in one great thundering mass. They were too far away to see, and never hearing anything like it before, the horses showed signs of panic. They wanted to run, but the people they trusted were standing at ease and looking to the sky. Being the trusting beings that they are, those horses stood still, the only evidence of their panic instinct showing in their erect posture and wildly flashing eyes. As the geese approached, they once again broke into separate groups, each heading toward an unknown destination. I can fully understand now why ancient man believed his world to be populated with gods and spirits. It was amazing…..truly amazing.

I Remember

I remembered you today.
Sitting in the tattered remains of the garden,
I thought I heard your voice in the quiet chirp of
a tiny wren.
Your smile flashed at me from the swirl of the squirrel’s tail
as he sat stretched forward on a tree limb
waiting to raid the bird feeder.
I remembered you today.
Sitting there where flowers bloomed,
and vines danced along the ground.
Today there are only stark branches and the few
lonely remains of leaves clinging up high,
refusing to let go and accept their fate.
I thought I saw your bright dancing eyes as one of those leaves
fell to the birdbath, and the sun sparked
from the edge of a tiny ripple.
Memories are so fragile.
They sometimes fade to gauze, leaving only
the imprint of sadness.
The breeze bustled through the branches,
and I thought I heard your contented sigh.
The world righted, and my tears dried.
I remembered you today………
And I smiled.

After the Storm