Have you ever seen snow geese? I once had a coworker whose husband was an avid hunter and park ranger, employed by the government and working at one of our state’s national parks. I learned a lot from that coworker and her park ranger husband. This coworker is the same woman who suggested I consider blogging, and she also introduced me to snow geese.
If not for this coworker, I don’t think I would have realized what I was seeing the other day as I lay on my deck. I concentrated on pressing the small of my back into the warm wooden planks of the floor beneath me.
Every now and then, I opened my eyes to see if anything had changed, but there was still the roofline of my neighbor’s house beside me, the resolute branches of a winter-weary oak tree reaching toward the sun, and the heavy weight of the dog at my feet.
But one time, when I opened my eyes against the sun, I thought I saw glitter in the sky. I thought, perhaps, I’d been out there too long, and maybe I needed a glass of water to help cool my jets. So, I squeezed my eyes tightly and then opened them again. The glitter had moved a little bit, to the north and east, but it was still there. Shaped like a “U” and so very high in the sky I nearly missed it. “Snow geese,” I said to myself. I considered going to get my camera so I could take a picture. But I knew, without moving a muscle in the direction of wherever my camera might be, that it would be pointless.
Even if I could get to my camera in time to take a picture before the geese had flown on away from here, and even though I have a fairly powerful camera, I am no Michael Forsberg, or Jordan Riggs, or National Geographics photog. I know my limits.
So I watched.
Snow geese fly so high in the sky, when migrating across the Great Plains, that you might miss them passing by, their silvery wings catching flecks of light and casting them down to earth, tricking your cornea into believing Zeus or angels or God himself might be engaged in a bit of atmospheric arts and crafts.
The snow geese moved in glittery formation across the crest of our own roofline, and so I stood to my feet, my right hand like a visor over my eyelids, my head tilted just about as far back as it will go. I couldn’t believe just how high I had to focus my eyes to be able to keep the glittery geese in my view.
Clearly, there has been a limit to my sky-gazing. I don’t think I’ve ever looked that far up before. I began to wonder what other lovely dances I might be missing, simply because, when I said, “The sky’s the limit,” I didn’t realize I’d put a limit, even on that.
These geese, minding their own business, doing what they do every year, were calling on me to expand my horizons. To look higher. To see further. To not miss the glitter that might be going on, just beyond where I’ve unknowingly put limits on myself. Those geese had no idea I was watching them so closely as they moved in slowly changing versions of glittery arcs and sweeps across the sky.
You never know who’s looking as you go through your everyday migration from one thing to the next, even if you think you’re so far out of everyone else’s radar. But also? When you think you’ve looked and stretched and grown and learned and gone just as far and as much and as deeply and as long as you can, be careful not to stop before you’ve seen the glitter in the sky.
:::
Today, meet Tonya, who introduced me to Amanda Miller Littlejohn.
I think you wrote that last paragraph just for me and I thank you for it.
Maybe we should both thank the geese?
geese are passing by
see the glitter in the sky
watch out where you step. 😉
Amen to that!
J’adore your jai-cuteness, Sandra :). Well done!
🙂
teacher’s distraction
kindergartener’s love language
carpet’s nemesis
(more to come as I’m able 😉 🙂 )
“Kindergartener’s love language.” That’s the best thing ever!
You’re on a roll!
Pain the greatest gift
Glittering life deep inside
Unexpected Hope
I’m turning exciting corners in my life and this post makes my heart skip just a bit at the hope I continue to find!.
Glitter so lovely and shiny,
clings to many things,
Like God’s love and mercy
and lovely angel wings
upon His children
Glitter –
preschool fingerprints
on green construction paper
messy memories
haha – just saw Robin’s glittery haiku
Glitter, I saw too
in the sky one September
11th–torn lives.
(that’s a bit of a melancholy haiku, but it captures perfectly a word I always remember describing that day standing in the streets of New York.)
thank you for always challenging us to think. and think again.
This makes me ache again.
arc against blue sky
all that glitters is not gold
snowy geese in flight
glittery soul, wide eyes
just a bit of pixie dust
dazzling masterpiece
Challenges are meant to be failed as much as met I suppose 🙂 Gifted at prose I am not, and since I had to look up “haiku” – well, you get the idea. But your beautiful story did make me think.
I like the idea that there are people out there who read what we write. Who, perhaps never comment and so we never know they are there… but they are blessed and brought closer to God as a result of their visit. Just as you were blessed by those snow geese.
Glitter and children somehow go together, so I would likely re-gift the gift of glitter to a group of kids and teach them about snow geese.
Great metaphoric observations, Deidra. And I”m still trying to fathom that geese glitter! I’ve never noticed that. I was about to post, when I looked down at Robin’s comments and realized she’d written a poem . . . and so had everyone else. So I went back and read your postscript questions, which I had not read before. I’m too sleepy to “glitter” at the moment (especially in haiku), so I’ll come back to it. But loved your post. Always do!
Love
Lynn
glitter box in hand
to the trash quickly would go
my fear mess too great
This was my first thought. It reveals a lot about me creatively, I think.
glitter stuck to hands
glinting, sweet, childlike wonder
who will clean this up?
Hands full of glitter
Shimmering in the blue sky
Glimpse of God’s beauty
I love to write verse
I could haiku all day long
So watch what you ask. 😉
Randomly Glittering Haikus
by Lynn D. Morrissey
Glittering of wings
foretaste of heaven’s glory
my soul mounts, shining
Glittering heavens
God’s marriage chuppah outspread
I behold my Groom
A glittering cake
Aging is never dying
Soul’s stars light the night
A glitt’ring of words
Even tiny haikus shine
There is no excuse
Flashy, insincere
Glitt’ring teeth in frozen smiles
Keep alert, beware
Sand, stars, sidewalks, eyes
Glitt’ring makes strange bedfellows
See the unlikely
well, i didn’t write a poem, but had to look up about Snow Geese. And found a site about Snow Geese. Might be fun for you to check it out! “Scarves glitter….shimmer….” and who not! (you can listen to it or read it. I liked listening. http://loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=02-P13-00034&segmentID=9
my dress edge got wet
as i threw glitter into
river’s interlude.
i cast a fly-bound
line, caught a shimmering fish –
then we ate popcorn.
I kept looking for the snow geese in the photos.
And that last paragraph, I thought well, who could be watching me.
My heart is deeply touched.
Thank you for the shout out. <3
Okay, I can’t resist your challenge! But before I post my haiku I must tell you that I have been following your blog for a couple of months and you’ve motivated me to start my own. I really enjoy the conversational feel to your writing and it’s helping me to “get” the community aspect of this venue.
Tears gently welling,
glittering with bright promise.
No holding them back.
glitter’s everywhere
littering up the whole place
an idea is born
nice to meet you, deirdra – great blog!