Its a gorgeous Day hear in my City....Sunny and light Breeze....The Air is crisp and Clean...
For some reason my memory returns to a time nearly 30 yrs ago...I was living in the Mid West States of Nebraska....Across the street from my apt. was a park with a good sized pond.....The tall grass, the cat o'nine tales...Pompass grass......The geese, ducks....families and children abound.....
I would sit at the waters edge with my bare feet kissing the cool water....
While observing a big White Goose and her goslings just feet away, I pulled out the Bread crumbs I brought with me.....
Off in the Distance on the water by the Lillies....2 Large white Trumpeter Swans Paddled in Synchronicity.....majestic and proud with there elegant necks and Banded Eyes....seem to effortlessly sway and turn in rythmic muse as a gentle wake trailed.....
My attention was turned to Mother Goose and her brood as the little peeping band of yellow fluff balls followed her every move, seemingly attached with an invisible cord...
I decided it was time for the Bread Crumbs to be shared so I began to toss some into the water, just far enough away to entice them closer......
As they came within a meter of my toes, Mama began scolding the chicks for coming to close.....I began to giggle and reassured her that I loved her and her family.....
It was then I decided to sprinkle some bread crumbs all the way up my pant legs and see what would happen.....And with a Flurry of complete Abandon, A Peeping Frenzied Mass of Yellow Fluffy Blur, came Marching up my pant legs to eat their fill of crumbs!
I was BEAMING with Love! A smile so Big, I split my lip! Uncontrollable giggling erupted from my belly and in between breaths, I would softly reassure Mama.....
Of Course, Mama would have None of this! Back and Forth in a figure 8 just ranting and honking in a panic, and I could tell she was completely Astonished at the Blatant Disregard of her Commands from the Peep Brigade......She came close to my feet and Nipped the Air just inches from my toe tips....
Well, it was time to release my Love Grip on the Easter Brigade so I sprinkled crumbs leading to the waters edge and one by one they reattached to the invisible tether of Protection....
I said aloud, "Thank you for sharing your Family with me Mama"! "Don't scold them too much! They where just following Love......
And as I looked forward, about 10 meters out on the water.....The 2 swans were posting sentry, a group of Mallards where vying for position and little mud ducks would disappear under the water, only to reappear somewhere else....
So I cast my remaining Bread crumbs to the crowd of Onlookers.....
Now if you ask me....I think the Swans were holding back the other ducks and Geese, wanting to enjoy the show just as much as I did....(and I swear I could hear the Swans say to each other; "Look at that Crazy Goose, letting her chicks near that Human"!! Hey! "Lets watch this, I haven't had a good laugh all week"!!)
Ahh! Spring!
Wayne Mattew Clarke
