Words from a Reader

The “Writing Life Stories” e-mails I receive are such treasures. As soon as I see there is one in my inbox, I read it immediately. I look forward to them and never know how they will touch me. They can be interesting, informative, humorous, and/or touching.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Seagulls on a Mountain Lake in February

On a dreary gray day, I took Rocky to the lake for a walk. We were quite alone there except for the lovely gulls flashing white above the icy water. Although I saw my first seagull on Lake Chatuge in 1995, I'm still amazed to find these birds so far from the coast.
I closed my eyes and for a moment I stood on the beach in Panama City, Florida. The sounds of the birds as they flitted and dived, soared and sang their piercing notes, took me back to 1965. I smelled the coconut tanning lotion, the slightly fishy odor on the wind.
Lapping waves broke the mountain silence, sweeping sand into the sea.


Mountain Seagull

Mountains stretch like layers,
Payne's Grey parchment,
growing fainter
as they reach toward
pale cerulean sky.

The Bald pokes its head
up through a cottony mist.
Lake Chatuge wraps the mountains,
lapping love, cool in coves
tucked tightly between peaks.

Sailboats, triangles, red and yellow
wrapping paper, swiftly blow
before the wind that rustles
maples, locust trees
where songbirds rest.

My spirit soars above the scene
a seagull far from home,
yearning to embrace
and build a nest.


from Now Might As Well Be Then, poems by Glenda Council Beall

3 comments:

  1. It is funny that they are this far from the coast-but you captured them perfectly in your poem.

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  2. This poem is absolutely beautiful, Glenda. Yes, you capture the image vividly. I can see the gull and literally smell the mountains when I read your wonderful words. The last stanza is so powerful.

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  3. Thank you Tipper and Julie for reading and commenting on my poem.
    Recently I wrote another poem about gulls on the lake. But it is not ready for publication yet. For some reason, seeing a flock of seagulls on a mountain lake is an image that transports me to another place, always some place special.

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