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

All Hallows

Bonfires burning high on a hill
Chanting and singing - voices then still
Hush child, no sound make,
Here - - or they'll see,
Silent among us is what we must be.
Mist lifting slowly, fluidly turns
Winding around the fires that burn
Look! Wide eyed in horror
See what is there!
High in the sky the spirits do stir
Shifting and moving down through the night
Quickly now! Gather here close to the light.
Fingers of fear reaching through and around
Twisting and turning and dancing aground
Flee for your lives, then someone does yell
Run fast my child 'for you end up in hell!
Fly like the wind, and the children do scream
Hope you all have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Footfalls

The fog rolled in this morning, thick, deep, comforting.
Shrouding the everyday sounds of life in a muffler
of gauzy mist swirling in the early morning light.
I hear footfalls
A gentle thud upon the fallen leaves, no longer crisp
from sun and wind and rain.
More feeling than sound, sightless in this cocoon of
earthbound cloud, I stop and listen.
No direction of vibration, nowhere to fix upon the coming
Footfalls
Gently, so gently, as though made by some ethereal being
bringing hope of sunrise……….
Breath held, senses awakening, mind reaching
for those unknown
Footfalls
I turn tentatively, and there, beneath the brush
yellow eyes glow in the mist.
In one swift, fluid movement she is gone.
Cougar has graced my path, leaving no sound
of footfalls.

Harmonic Convergence

Cougar

She comes in the early morning hours. This land is at the outer fringe of her territory. There is not enough rock, not enough cover for her comfort level. We have a truce, she and I. While she knows that I am no threat to her, she also knows that this is my territory. My scent is everywhere. Something in that scent tells her that I mean her no harm, and in return she graces me with a cat like blink and a playful huff, as she rolls in the grass a few yards away. I simply call her cougar. She never hunts the domestic fowl that roam the yard. She comes for the grain fattened rabbit that frolic here. I understand that she would never come unless she were hungry. I sit quietly on the deck or in a chair by the fish pond and smile at her antics. She is much like the barn cats in her mannerisms, and I look for the cues and postures I have learned from them, to see if I can predict what she is about. She likes to hear me sing softly in the early morning, and will turn expectantly if I become quiet. We have an easy relationship bourn of mutual respect. One day I hope to see her bring young ones to learn to hunt the rabbit, and grace me with the ability to observe and learn. Cougar. I have no doubt that were I in her territory and seen as a threat, she would attack. But here, where no threat exists we find a strange sort of friendship. There will come a time when she will no longer come. Her territory is far reaching, and I have no hold on her. I dread that day. Never knowing if I will see her again, my heart will become heavy with worry. My imagination runs wild at these times, and I always think the worse. The truth is, perhaps I need this constriction of heart and soul to teach me something. Nothing in this life is permanent. Even love changes from day to day. Perhaps she has been sent to teach me to accept. Not the inevitable parting, but the current joy. I find myself praying to that unknown God at these times. Let me feel what I have been given before it’s gone….before it’s a memory and I have only fragments to grasp at. Teach me to look beyond my self and accept the small joys given in the now. It’s a prayer not often answered with a yes. This lesson I must learn on my own. So I sit and watch. I let the morning sun rise quietly behind my shoulder, and no thought comes. Just let it be M………. Just be.