Month: March 2021

The Child and the Seagull’s Lesson

One day, sitting on the soft sand beach, minding her own business making dribble castles in the sand, a small child saw a seagull trying to open up a big snail shell.

“What are you doing “, kindly asked the little girl.

The creator has played a trick on us. “He’s given us these succulent snails…one would feed me and my family. I just can’t figure out how to break these tough shells.

The child thought, “I’ve used sticks and other sharp things,” she said.

“Great for you,” he squawked, in only the way a seagull can. “You have hands and are strong.”

The child thought again.

Hours seemed to pass and the two sat on the edge of the beach and thought hard together.

They stopped the pelican as he flew by, “do you know how the seagull can enjoy these delicious snails?”

The pelican laughed and explained he ate only fish and dropped down on them from very high in the sky.

Next they stopped the osprey…he explained he also only ate fish and spotted them from high in the sky, then would dive straight into the water. He flew off being of no help to the child or seagull.

Soon an otter came swimming by tangled up in the seaweed and rolling around a couple of rocks.

“Oh Otter of the sea, how do you break open the clams and spiny urchins you enjoy?”

The otter playfully answered, “why with rocks of course.”

The three of them sat down on a gigantic rock and starring into the sky and at the drifting clouds.

All at once a raven flew by and saw the three.

“What seems to be the problem?” he quizzed the three.

The child explained the raven the seagull’s dilemma.

The raven laughed out load, “that’s a simple problem to solve,” as he flew high into the sky with the snail.

The seagull got angry and was about to fly after him when he let go of the snail.

It fell to the rocky shore with a loud crack!

The raven flew back and asked the seagull what he was waiting for.

The four of them went over to where the snail had fallen and there before them…was the snail cracked wide open.

The child giggled.

Between all the birds and the otter, the raven had used a bit from them all.

The seagull gathered up all the snails it could find before the tide came in.

The otter swam deep into the kelp and brought a tasty bunch of clams.

The raven brought an ear of corn.

The child starred with delight at this huge feast.

All her new animal friends shared in the feast and all nestled down and fell fast asleep.

In the morning, the child woke to the otter cradling her in her arms.

The child thanked the otter and wandered back into the woods.

JA 2021

The Child and The Sea Turtle: Luminescence

The sun began to sink below the horizon

“How beautiful,” the child thought

The sky filled with the most wonderful colors…

Pale at first, then growing deeper and more brilliant.

The deep reds and oranges, delighted the child.

She sat down on a smooth branch and began to sing

The song birds of the sky joined in wishing the sun a good night.

Just then a huge turtle appeared at the edge of the lagoon

His shell was dark brown with green edges from age.

His face was the color of the dark green sea

His eyes told stories of ancient oceans and all the miles he’d traveled

The child went over to turtle and touched his leathery skin

She could feel the silence and loneliness of his life

The turtle took his mighty flipper and scooped the child onto his back and lumbered back into the sea

As they floated he told the child stories of the sky, the stars and the moon

The child fell fast asleep and dreamed of the things the turtle said

She dreamed the most marvelous dreams and when she awoke, she couldn’t believe her eyes

The sky had filled with stars, millions and billions of stars as far as she could see.

She then looked deep into the water… at first she couldn’t believe her eyes

The stars, reflecting in the lagoon, seemed to light up as the turtles flipper cut through the water.

She gazed with delight, giggling as the bluish green sparkles lit up the sky reflected in the still water.

Soon the child fell into a trance of swirling luminescence and stars.

The turtle found some seaweed and gently covered the child as she drifted away into the emptiness.

In the morning, the sun greeted the night and dismissed it filling the sky with pinks and purples.

The child awoke from her sleep, nestled in her hammock at the edge of the lagoon.

Her dream had ended and she stretched to greet the day, smiled at the sun and felt thankful for the new day

The Child and The Whale: a Creation Story

One day, a small child was walking along the beach.
She was very sad
So sad, as she walked huge tears fell from her eyes and filled an ocean


The animals of the forest and streams came to see if they could comfort her but they didn’t know what to do
So the child turned towards the ocean and began to walk
She walked and walked until the animals of the forest and streams could see her no longer see her


The child began to see the most wonderful things
There were turtles and fishes, dolphins and whales
She was floating in the ocean
Watching as the colors were illuminated by the sun as it’s splintered light entered the ocean
All at once, the child realized she was running out of air
First the turtle came to see what he could do
But he found his flippers couldn’t hold her up
The turtle swam off to get help
The child began to feel tired and began to drift off
She was dying and she didn’t understand


She tried to breathe but the water filled her lungs
Soon the whale came back with the turtle
They saw the child floating lifeless
They were very sad
The whale drew on his vast knowledge and opened his mouth
He gently scooped up the child and began his journey to the surface
The small child woke up and felt a soft surface in the dark
She snuggled up and began to dream
In her dream she was playing in her favorite field of daisies
The butterflies tickled her nose
As she looked up in her dream to see the sun


The whale opened his mouth
He stuck out his long tongue and watched the small child walk to the beach
She turned around and saw the whale
The animals of the ocean gathered around the whale
There were dolphins and turtles
Whales and fishes
Underwater flying animals with big wings of black and white
There were fishes of all colors and shapes
She giggled as the flying fish performed tricks


The whale softly spoke in whale talk
He thanked the child for creating the ocean with her tears
He told her a secret and the child smiled
Her tears dried and she found peace in her heart

The Watch

I look into the dark abyss

The darkness seems to go on forever

I can hear the slapping of the waves on the bottom of the small boat

A rhythmic sound that fades into the silence of my mind

I look deeper and deeper

Melting into the depths of the sea until I am the sea

Emerging from the depths I can see the shadowy colors of the silent sentinel of the deep

With grace and finesse in its movements

The slow accent to the surface

Breaking the surface in stealthy silence

The huge head rising up

I gaze into the glassy eye

We look into each other’s soul.

I reach out my hand and this gentle giant nuzzles it

The release of its breath

I inhale

This bohemoth rises further into the air as if weightless

Sleek

Powerful

Graceful

Ancient

The Child and the Green Buddha

One day while walking alone in the woods a child found a path.

In all her days living in the woods and along the streams,

She had never seen this path before

It shimmered with light that sparkled on the horizon

It looked like diamonds hovering in the most bluish green sky she’d ever seen.

She wandered slowly over to the path,

It was the softest thing beneath her feet she’d ever felt

She explored further and further until all at once,

The path opened up onto the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen

Being from the woods she didn’t know what this soft powder was

She saw a turtle digging in the sand and asked,

“Mr Turtle, what is this soft wonderfully warm ground called?

It’s a wonderful surprise!”

The turtle answered, in a low soft voice, “why it is sand child, have you never been to the sea?”

With glee the child took a deep breath and smelled the most delicious air ever

“I like the smell of the air”, said the small child

“It’s the smell of the sea child,” said the turtle

The child thought to herself that the sea looked like beautiful patchwork quilt of colors

She thanked the turtle and moved down closer to the sea

She saw a figure standing at the edge and watched as the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky gathered

She walked quietly, not making a single sound

The powdery warm sand beneath her feet brought joy to her heart and she smiled

As she grew closer

The figure turned around

His face was bright like the sun and rainbows danced off his finger tips

The birds of the sky circled him and cried joyous songs

The fish of the sea danced on top of the water

The man handed the girl a stone

It was the most beautiful jade green she had ever seen although it was quite plain.

The man told the girl to hold onto the stone and that any time she needed to be comforted from a bad dream or to dry her tears

She could hold the stone and he would appear in her mind

Clearing away all that she feared and make her know

It’s not real

The girl thanked the man and took her pretty jade green rock and went back towards the path

She thanked the birds of the sky and the fish in the sea, turned and walked back into the woods where she lived

She ran back to the Wolf and told him what had happened

When the wolf heard the story he asked the girl to see the rock

As she pulled it from the little pouch that hung around her neck,

It felt quite different and not the same plain rock she was given

She placed it in the palm of her hand and held it out for the Wolf to see

As she opened her hand the rock had turned into a likeness of the man she met

The Wolf knew this man and explained to the little girl about the man who loves all beings

He lives in the woods and the sea, the earth and the sky, and now he lives here

The Wolf touched the girl with his nose

She looked at the beautiful green statue she held in her hand

“Does he have a name?” asked the child

“Buddha,” answered the Wolf.

The Sea and The Darkness

The sound of the waves

Lapping at the shore in the darkness

It needs not be seen in the light

I’ve seen it so many times

It is burned into my memory

I can see the froth

The glistening sand as the water recedes

I can hear the rocks rolling as the waves recede back into the inky blackness

I can smell the salt air and feel the coolness

The stars in the heavens are doubled in the reflection on the sea and the endless horizon bends ever so slightly

The moon shimmers on the ripples as they return to the sea

I get goose bumps as I open my eyes and feel the cool night air

I sit back, take a drink and breathe

Ahhhh…