I saw these bubbles in the sand this morning. At first, I only saw one and it was about the size of a clam. I thought it might be so I tested the bubble lightly with one foot. But there was not a shell, the sand just popped and flattened to the ground. I was curious to what that was but shrugged and started walking again along the shore.
And that’s when I realized it was not the only one at all. There were many many more. I followed them to the end, they stretched the entire beach. Little pockets of air under the sand as the tide slowly came back in. A phenomenon that is brief and only exists until the ocean swallows them up again.
I wonder if I will see them again sometime. If I will be by the beach again at the same time conditions are right to make lots of bubbles in the sand.
Automatically I think yes, of course it probably happens every day. My second thought is how special that it happened today. Time stretches far ahead of me and I feel immense gratitude that all the conditions and timing lined up for me to be here, today. That my life expanded a little more today.
A reminder that the earth is available to me any moment I look for it. Its strength, its resilience, its beauty, its understanding. The firmness offers support, the wind offers clearing, the sun offers nourishment, the ocean offers renewal, the clouds offer softness and protection, the ridges in the sand offer an opportunity to slow down, The light and dark show the acceptance of the range of emotions present in human life.
Spring, misting rain, white crocuses And a thick carpet of green grass A rabbit with grey hair and a white cottontail Crouching not far from me across the grass I was sure if I touched the rabbit’s fur It would feel as soft as my beautiful boy’s hair In the rare moments he lets me linger there Inhaling the moment wistfully wondering What if we can just stay there This time, standing, I stopped and starred Caught in the same thought What if we can just stay here Just stay here and stare
I wanted to share this poem and I would love to hear feedback if you want to share with me. I don’t have much experience with poetry, but I keep trying to learn and write poetry because I love how it allows me to express my experiences, values, and emotions, and feel connected to myself and others. That universal human experience kind of connection. The feeling of being whole, grounded, and timeless in the universe. I would love to hear what you love about poetry or what it means in your life too.
For a little background, I wrote this poem when my son was two. In some ways my life isn’t too much different now than it was then. My son is a little older and I have a second child now, but I think it was a moment in time that I was experiencing a shift in myself and my inner world.
We were taking a walk, like we did most days in our neighborhood that spring. That day we were clad in rain boots and rain jackets watching the storm drains with rushing waterfalls, finding small rocks to throw in and hear the kerplunck each time the rock hit the water (thank you DPW workers for cleaning those out from time to time), exploring the small “rivers” that formed in the dirt road from rain over night, and splashing in puddles we found. We had stopped in the neighbors yard next door to admire some of the flowers, green grass, and bunnies there. I wrote this poem in a little notebook that was in my pocket, while my son was engrossed in watching a bunny eating grass a few feet away.
I’m not sure if this poem is done or not. I am not sure if I want to make it into a certain form of poem. I keep coming back to it and trying new things, but this is its original form. I will let you know if I find a way to recreate this poem that feels finished to me in the future!
