Reflections from the Swamp
Dear Readers,
The swamp is truly a glorious place to be in early spring. This year
Tundra Swans and Sandhill Cranes have joined the multitude of Canada Geese out on the water. Within the last few years we’ve had two record high water levels that have flooded out the nests of the Canada Geese. This year the waters are behaving properly and staying within their usual confines. Climate change has contributed to oscillating temperatures, severe storms, and droughts.
Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet while Omega is the last letter. The Creator has been described as The Alpha and the Omega in Biblical references; the beginning and the end. I see the geese bringing in the New Year (Alpha) with their arrival in March. The geese also herald in the end of the season (Omega) of life in the fall. This poem is a tribute to our beloved Canada Geese, Creator, and the joy of spring. This verse is also a warning that our Earth has entered troubling times because of our contributions to climate change. We thank you geese, for bringing in the new season of life every spring when you come home to us.
The Geese
Sometimes mythical with their golden eggs
Able to live in two worlds, the physical and the spiritual
The world of land and water
The sphere of air, ether, and flight
The Geese
The Alpha and Omega
The heralds of new beginnings in spring
And the trumpets that mark the end times,
In the fall of life, in the natural world
The Eggs
Freshly lay in the reeds,
Beneath downy feathers, protected from the storms above
Warm and hopeful, gifts of life unopened.
The Alpha waits its turn in the cycle of life
The Earth
Wrapped in the embryonic envelope of atmosphere and clouds
Warms beyond its incubational needs
Sending droughts, hurricane winds
Driving violent storms to the reeds below
The Eggs
Abandoned, float lifelessly toward the sea
Which slowly rises to meet them.
Big birds fly alone against the sun
Their journey ending with the empty nest
The Geese
Caught between the Alpha and Omega
“What is our purpose now?” they ask.
Flight without destination, resting between rising tides
Waiting, silently for tomorrow
The Earth
A blue-green egg, losing its golden lustre
Nurturing of all the life forms she holds
Able to live in two worlds
The physical and the mystical
Our Blue-Green Egg
Nestled between the stars,
Which move like galactic reeds across the heavens
Earth flying with her trumpeting geese
Ever hopefully, towards The Omega