Every time I drive by Jamaica Bay
I look beyond the houses
at the water’s edge
I look to see the level of the tide
though I really have no need to know
Yet it always feels important just to look.
I notice when the waves cover the reeds
that form small islands just off shore
I check to see if any ducks or geese or egret are about.
I find myself a witness to the mood of the bay,
watching how the water lies so still or
how the wind stirs up the waves.
Wondering how the moon can push or pull
the water beyond its normal reach.
I don’t take notes or photographs
I just have pictures in my mind
And I smile
No matter what I find
I feel some reassurance in knowing
that the bay is still there
Even though I don’t know
where I expect it to go.
It’s a wonder to see it
every time
And of course
there’s some comfort too
in the connection that I have
with this place in nature that is so much
bigger than my self.