The Apples in My Orchard

On two consecutive nights this week, I sat on our dock at dusk and watched the loons gather. It was an interesting time, one full of serenity and calmness, as well as appreciation for this bird I’ve come to enjoy. Both nights, seemingly, held a routine. Three loons were gathered in the middle of our small Northwoods Wisconsin lake. Two take off, leaving one by themself. On the first night, the two loons circled right overhead making a perimeter sweep of the shoreline. It thrilled and shocked me both. I kept watch, waiting for them to return. The lone loon gracefully glided towards the southern end of the lake. I think they were just riding the current but might have been slowly swimming. During this time all was quiet. I’ve really come to appreciate the quietness of the lake during the week. Eventually, there were loon calls from the southern end, although I couldn’t see them. Soon, all three loons were back together again, at the far end of the lake. And, this sequence of events is repeated on the second night. Throughout all of this, on both nights, there were spectacular sunsets.

At the end of June, just after our move to the lake, I started a poem about dusk. I finished it and offer it today as my Poetry Friday post. With half the world (it seems) on fire, my husband and I are appreciating the cooler days and refreshing nights in our forested cabin on this small freshwater lake. It doesn’t entirely stop me from worrying about the world or climate change but tempers the anxiety I feel for us globally. This doesn’t mean we are not concerned enough to do our part, it just means that we can think clearly during this uncertain time of global warming. We all have to act NOW if we are to save ourselves from our selfish human consumptive ways. Think sustainably and act sustainably.

Northwoods Dusk

Dusk at the lake
Leaves rustling
Birds, homeward bound, bustling
Quietness returns for goodness sake

A coolness to the air
Invites a turtle to lay her eggs
As our dog begs
To see her as she sits there

Snakes safe in their dark crevasse
The day’s heat gone
And saved for the morns wet lawn
To scare this gardener, a mere lass

As the sun sinks low
A morning dove coos
Evening though the night ensues,
It is summer, don’t you know!?

The days are long
And nights are short,
As the kids build a fort,
We listen to natures song

Soon the fire stops crackling’ bright
And we’re tucked in our cozy beds
Loons make one last yodel overhead
Now all is quiet, dusk turns to night.

© Draft, Carol Labuzzetta, 2022

Loons at Dusk: A Haiku

waiting for the loons

patiently so patiently

crash, water landing

© Carol Labuzzetta, 2022

Today is Poetry Friday. The incomparable Mary Lee Hahn is our host today at Another Year of Reading. Please check out her website for links to more poetry from participants and her own poetry about some yummy summer veggies! Thanks for hosting, Mary Lee.