Saturday, March 25, 2017

imminent departure

Little Khloe uses her finger to write her name in the wet sand
Asking her father for help to spell it
Asking where the waves come from
Dancing delighted through the surf foam on the beach.

The waves come all the way across the wide ocean he says
Commenting to us the K could use some help
Happy to be with his happy child
She the innocent experiencing the wonders of the world.

Her mother smiles and we smile on them
As they continue on their way
While we stop to listen and look at the waves
Contemplating the endless variations.

We walk the edge in the evening after dinner
A mile or more each way
Watching the sky and water change color
Watching for gannets far offshore diving for fish.

High tide comes as the sunset approaches
Waning crescent or gibbous moon
Two weeks to repeat the cycle
Keeping us in touch with the lunar presence.

Flocks of hundreds of cormorants pass overhead
Great V’s migrating north pointing the way
We will travel ourselves in a few days
The end of our winter sojourn in the south.