Wild

But first, Qarrtsiluni has graciously put up a short short of mine, Fish. Better yet, an image Skyfishin response that proves that the picture is worth more than 100 words.




Wednesday, on the way to the dentist, I took the shorter walk through the park to the single train stop, rather than the three line hub. Through the Fenway.

All the geese were standing there, perhaps 40 of them, across the lawn, in the water, along the path, spaced about a meter apart and looking left. All of them. I am nervous around geese. When I was 10, I went to pet one at Sea World, despite being warned, and got a painful nip to teach me this was a wild creature capable of defense. I excused myself, out loud to the phalanx of geese, and felt the hot hostility as I crossed their picket. Great relief after passing through unscathed.

Thursday morning, I did the same, in the cool of 0600 after night storms. There was a new orange ball in a gutter puddle, and I picked it up. Only a little grimy, one of those novelty gel things, and I walked with it across the street, tried to bounce it. It bounced badly, but took the slope and scampered off down toward the basketball courts, looking like it was happily running home.

I stopped on the poohstick bridge and watched a half dozen foot and a half long carp like fish swimming in the current for several minutes. Missing a train, of course. But the next came soon enough, and beside me on the window crawled an orange Ladybug. At the transfer station, I watched a tiny, mud grey mouse on the tracks.

Last evening, I walked back the same way, and watched dragonflies skimming the still surface of the muddy water, and a turtle poking it's nose up.

I feel blessed.