Scouting

Scouting

The bush hung at a preposterous angle from the fossil laden cliff, protecting the entrance to the cave. It’s leafy green head dipped into the free flowing water fall, while sinewy roots clung to cracks and crevices in the cliff wall. It was so wonderful swimming at the base of this water fall. After the strong ocean currents, the eddies and swirls of the small waterfall were child’s play. The sun was warm and a flat rock marked by tide and weather looked the perfect place to sun herself. 

But that’s not what she was here to do. She had been coming here for the last three days with her children. Today was different. She had them stay deep in the cave behind the waterfall. She was scouting - scouting for these..these...humans who thought that sneaking around trying to see a mermaid, and her children, was a game. Well she thought it was just plain rude. There was nothing she could do to drive them away. It wasn’t like she was a turtle that could just lie in the sun and bake. And with rambunctious children? What was a mer-mother to do?!

Today she came to sheltered pool earlier than the three other times. The sun warmed the water but the breeze blowing onto the spit from the ocean was cool. Her mother had told her that humans did not come out if it was too cool. So she swam in a slow circle, cautiously approaching the bush that had hidden the humans. All she could see was a crow in the shallows. At the edge of the water was a deer and her fawn. When she saw the deer, she relaxed.  There would be no deer if humans were near by. Slapping her tail on the still water three times, she signaled her children that it was safe, but startled the deer, her fawn and the crow. Long before the echo of sound died away, the water around the waterfall was churning with laughing mer-children riding their tails on the surface and diving deep into the gently bubbling waters.

“You can’t use up creativity.  The more you use, the more you have.”

 ~ Maya Angelou

**This final version, from a writing exercise of March 2011, again uses the same six words: bush, waterfall, mermaid, fossil, circle, preposterous.

Hunting Buddies

Rocks at Hornby Island

Hunting Buddies

Folk lore always has a great story to it, but held up in the light of day, this particular piece of lore seemed preposterous.  A group of men were at their daily haunt, the coffee shop, critically reading the rag that was popular with some of their wives.  “There’s no such thing.” They all agreed and because they were bored, decided to see for themselves. The newspaper article was very specific about the location of the sighting. The motley crew of coffee buddies loaded themselves in one of their pickups and went hunting. If anyone asked, they were looking for fossils and rocks, driftwood and sea stars - for their grandkids.

Parking close to the beach, the treasure hunters strolled nonchalantly down the spit of land in the direction of the circle of trees shielding a slender waterfall splashed through scraggly bushes and dow tall rock cliffs.

They each found what looked like a fossil or two, which slid into jacket pockets. As they approached an evergreen bush at the end of the beach, they could hear children splashing and playing. “Maybe we should go back. What if it’s some of the kids from town. They'll see us.”

But being quite brave, the group decided to just peek around the bush and see who was really there. Rounding the bush, they saw a beautiful chestnut haired mermaid riding the waves at the base of the foaming waterfall, three mer-children flipping in the water. The mer-family saw the group of men with their mouths hanging open, peering around the bush and, in a flash, the mermaid and her children were gone beneath the waves.

“Creative people are curious, flexible, persistent and independent 
with a tremendous spirit of  adventure and a love of play.”
~ Henry Matisse

** This third version uses the same base six words as the previous two posts (Aug. 22 and 23, 2012): bush, waterfall, mermaid, fossil, circle, preposterous. (from a writing exercise March 2011)

Boys!!

           Boys!!

It was preposterous. Everyone knows there is no such thing as a mermaid.  In the school yard, some of the boys had been laughing and telling everyone about ‘a real mermaid’. They swore they had seen one when they went on a hike the weekend before. They wouldn’t tell exactly but the girls all knew where they liked to go. So the girls decided that they would go on their own treasure hunt. They arrived at the long white sand beach that stretched ahead of them. Studded with polished driftwood and purple sea stars washed against seaweed covered rocks, the beach unrolled into the distance like a nubbly carpet. The rolling ocean could only wrap itself around the tips of the long, gnarled fingers of land on either side. They set out to the west gathering rocks, moss and fossils, their beautifully woven bags slowly filling with their sodden loot. When the circle of friends rounded the mulberry bush at the end of one of the spits, they all stopped at once and gasped. A great waterfall fell in lacy white foam spraying up into the draping moss. The sun shone a rainbow through the spray. Arriving just in time to see a family of beautiful mermaids slide laughingly, but gracefully, into the swirling sea and disappear beneath the frothy waves. How could they tell boys anything! Well they just wouldn’t. Telling them anything would definitely be preposterous!

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, 

breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun. “

 ~ Mary Lou Cook

**This second version of the post dated Aug.22, 2012, is created from six base words only and is from a writing exercise from March 2011. The six words are bush, waterfall, mermaid, fossil, circle, preposterous.

A Sighting....

A Sighting....

It was preposterous.  We all knew that it was only folk lore. Fantastic tales told around fire pits when crickets called. “There’s no such thing” we all agreed, but local stories and ‘sightings’ persisted. Each with a set of binoculars, a camera and mid morning lunch in worn back packs, we set out on our annual ‘treasure’ hunt. On these hunts we searched for fossils and rocks, driftwood and sand dollars. The beach stretched and yawned while the tide was out into a broad open circle that stretched far to the west and to the east. The great rolling ocean pulled at the long gnarled fingers of land at either end of the white sand beach. 

Gathering as many rocks and shells, driftwood and sand dollars as we could carry, we filled our back packs with treasures. Only one of our group had a true fossil among the beautiful pieces gathered. Then as we approached a full and beautifully flowering bush at the end of the beach, chattering and calling to each other, we suddenly hushed. It sounded like children! We peered around the bush. There were four children splashing and playing. Just then we heard a woman’s voice. Their mother? Had we heard correctly? Was she calling them home?

Creeping carefully around the bush, we could see a beautiful golden haired mermaid riding her tail fin on the water at the base of a foaming waterfall. One of our group sneezed, and fell. The mermaid quickly looked in our direction; at the same time she called her children to her. She spied us. Strange beings huddled at a bush at the water's edge. With a watery flash she and her children disappeared below the waves.

“Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected.”

~ William Plomer

On the Beach

On the beach 
waves lap softly

roll wild, driven 

ebb and flow

to and from shore.

Monochromatic gray chameleon clouds glow

softly at dawning or gloaming

constant sky drift

water bundled in invisible nets.

Winds brush

lightly or in thundering gales

curling waves 

shaping clouds 

no obvious direction but 

to move with the curve of the earth.

“In every outthrust headland, in every curving beach,

in every grain of sand there is the story of the earth.”

 ~ Rachel Carson

Shifting Work

Work: Well Organized Righteous Knowledge

With little potential for moveable activities...

not a preferred definition, but....

employers lose monopoly on my time as I revolve 

gracefully through work-force door, edging back into my home.

Moving from inside to outside 

only coming home to 
roost for a night

dine at my table

launder my clothes.

I need some redefinition.

Work Redefined

Work: Wonderfully Orchestrated Revolving Knowledge.

Nurturing self care from dawn to dusk

regular parts of my home and work day

I dance my way into and out of hospital routine.

Routines at home

set for myself and

change to fit the rhythm of the day 'prn'.

My spirit is the wind in my soul

steering my earthly self through cloud or sun

whether at home or work. 

I learn to step lightly, 

the wind at my back, 

spirit steadily moves me.

My inner guide directs me 

through changes of shifting work shifts and 

from the outside world to my inside world.

At the bedside,

patient advocacy is a part of me 

no need for license or certification

to be valid or valued by me.

At home I advocate patiently

just as much a part of me

for myself and my family.

Very valid and valued by me.

From hospital bedside to my kitchen table

the joy of work redefined

has shifted in place only.

“By your thoughts you are daily, even hourly,

building your life; you are carving your destiny.”

~ Ruth Barrick Golden

Time Suspended

Clouds breathless

Sun baking

Fields lush

Meadowlark trilling

The hum of lives lived

blankets the land.

"Time does not change us. It just unfolds us."

~ Max Frisch