#NewThisDay Writing From My Photo Stream

These few words are enough.
If not these words, this breath.
If not this breath, this sitting here.
This opening to life…
~Excerpt from “Enough,” by David Whyte

“The restoration of Perico Preserve is a story of transformation. The land has undergone significant changes from its original acquired state of farmland to the beautiful mix of habitats we see today. Featured at this site are the coastal wetlands expected in this area as well as carefully planned scrub hills and upland areas that hearken back to historical coastal Manatee County.”

— https://www.mymanatee.org/

A change of pace: instead of a morning walk, a bike ride at noon. Before leaving, I finish a draft of a new poem; it is very fresh, but I am happy to have something to bring tonight, particularly as I am so far away from Cambridge and missed our workshop last week. We take a 20 mile ride, up through Bradenton to Holmes Beach where we take the bridge over the Bay and stop in the Perico Nature Preserve, park our bikes, walk the sandy trail through the salt marshes and reach a wooden pier and bench where he have our picnic lunch, watching the mullet jump and flash silver under the sky. Why do the mullet jump, we wonder, making leisure conversation. Frank checks google and declares: “They jump because they’re happy and they have few predators.” The consensus is: we like this idea. We just keep watching, now our sandwiches are eaten and the sun is not too hot or bright. And then Frank says, “Look quick!” We stand at the railing and peer down into the salty shallows. Here’s a hammerhead shark, a baby, sliding along. Perhaps the mullet won’t be so happy after all. Later in the day, after dinner, after weighty conversation and expressions of gratitude, the consensus is, we have enjoyed our day and time together–we say goodbye to these two tomorrow,. And later still, in the workshop, the consensus is, my poem has promise and needs some work. Ah. How the mullet are jumping for joy.