Month: March 2022

Low Tide

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Today I am posting a short piece I wrote in 2015, but want to emphasize that it is not autobiographical. I was not at “low tide” in 2015, and I am not now. However, I am concerned for those running on empty.

Boardwalk at Daytona Beach, very close to a bold sign Do Not Feed The Birds

Low Tide
I leaned heavily on the railing, staring at the waves that were disappearing, like everything else in my life. My mind drifted aimlessly, emotionlessly sorting through random images. There was no rage as I replayed Jim’s treachery, no pain at my friend’s disloyalty, no anxiety from the lost job and unpaid rent. Nothing. My life was empty; I was empty.  That’s okay, I decided, the waves will wash everything away.

I had cleaned out the fridge. The hell with everything else, give them something to talk about when they poke through my stuff. Mechanically, I reached for the bag of scraps.
The gulls descended as soon as my cupped hands were visible, growing to a demanding cloud as I flung the scraps into the air. My lips curved into a slight smile, but it faded and my hands dropped back to the railing.

“Miss?   Miss!”
I jumped as I felt a hand touch my arm, but I did not turn.
“Miss, it’s against the law to feed the birds. Didn’t you see the sign?” asked a gruff voice.
I tossed another handful. “I’m not feeding the birds. I’m flinging my life away and they’re carrying it out to sea for me.”

“Miss? Are you okay?” The voice was kinder but insistent. “You can’t feed the birds!”

As I threw away the last of the scraps, a wing brushed my cheek. Inhaling in surprise, I was assaulted by the tang of the salt water and the screeching of the frantic birds.
The hand touched my arm again. “Ma’am, are you alright? Can I buy you a coffee?”

Turning, I saw a female officer about my height with a ticket book in hand.
I stepped away from the railing. “Yes, a coffee would be nice.”
Rose Burke, 2015

Many people are going through difficult times, and it is often invisible. We must not underestimate the impact that a kind word or a cup of coffee can have on a person’s day. It may be enough for them to see the blue sky and the next day

Blue sky and the promise of buds

Embracing Spring

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Winter is leaving, and
The goldfinches are singing
The sun’s invitation.

We embrace its warmth with joy,
But Winter and Spring are playful foes.
Tug of war or teeter-totter?
Mother Nature sets the scene.


.

Crystal chandeliers
Adorned with pendants and pearls
Spider webs of ice.

It’s Mother Nature’s spotlight,
Her first performance of spring.

But the seasons know their time, and Spring joyfully rushes forth in the Pokiok Stream

Turmoil That Can’t Be Ignored

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It is hard to watch the news coming from Ukraine.
Once “the other side of the world” was used to dismiss any effect on us, but the world has shrunk, and now everything is interconnected.
We are seeing unbelievable devastation, the risk of a nuclear disaster, and a country fighting for its life. Women and children flee for safety, while sons, husbands and brothers stand against Russian forces. But, in contrast to the inhumanity, there is hope and help.

Inside the Polish border, women knew what women carrying children would need. And there were men with signs offering rides. Help and hope, a glimmer of light. (image from facebook, no credit given)

The world is holding its breath. We simply cannot think of our safe world being blown to bits, but it is no longer unimaginable. My parents have been on my mind all week, and I imagine them watching the news. What memories of WWII would be flooding back. Would my mother be remembering the German invasion of the Netherlands and the fear for her brother in the Dutch army? Would she be taken back to the terrible years of the Occupation?
After WWII, her brother had been certain there would be another war, and it would come from the Soviet Union. It was the reason he brought his family to Canada. Now Russia has invaded Ukraine.
For years my father, and many other veterans, never spoke of the war. Would they be able to watch the news and still keep the memories at bay. We have enjoyed a generation of relative peace, but they have passed on their horror of war.
I stand with Ukraine; I stand against war. We will feel the impact of this war, but the increased cost of goods and gasoline is a small price to pay when a country is being devastated and death tolls are rising. We will welcome displaced Ukrainians, and we will pray that war will not reach our land.

I still seek peace in the solitude of nature, but it is overlaid by shadows, and I see them differently as they reach toward me. Are they the dark fingers of war?

Shadows overlay the landscape
like dark fingers spreading fear
A deer’s search for food could be a crater

I dedicate this post to my parents and to every family of the world impacted by war. May their strength and sacrifice never be forgotten.
And to the people of Ukraine, who are standing strong.
May all tyrants be vanquished.

Harassed
but still strong, and a beacon to the world