Another Day’s Story Poem by Bill Galvin

I heard them early in the morning…
Large acorns falling from on high;
Onto the roof where I was sleeping
In a craftsman-style house, on a quiet tidal cove,
In suburban coastal Virginia.
A few had fallen naturally during the night,
But now the squirrels were busy in the branches
Knocking them down every few minutes,
To later fill their winter larder.

I sip my coffee alone on cousin Dawne’s porch,
Facing the early gray, cool morning,
Admiring ripples of raindrops on the placid inlet;
The tide is moving back in from the James River Bay;
A great blue heron swoops in for a minnow meal,
And stands on spindly legs so patiently,
Then uncoils its neck and jabs its beak at a target.

There is a cancer trying to darken this home.

And I am here to reinforce a family bond;
To convey the healthful, hopeful wishes
Of those who are from afar and could not be here;
To tell her this battle of hers is not a lonely one;
She has supporters near and far, and love all around.
Dawne is strong, focused, and genuinely positive;
She knows the lay of this land,
And will use all the weapons at her disposal.
We told stories and laughed heartily last night.
Her first chemo treatment sapped her a bit,
But she is quickly regaining energy and appetite;
And she is confident that this battle will be won;
And she will conscientiously prepare body and spirit
Before next month’s chemo to reduce the ill effects.
She canceled a haircut appointment,
And laughs that she’s going to lose her hair anyway.

A handful of ducks paddles silently about the basin,
Making V-shaped mini-wakes in the calm waters,
Poking heads underwater, with tails feathers skyward.
The almost silent rain only lasts a few minutes,
And as skies begin to clear, birds are heard chirping
From the nearby oak and magnolia trees.

No darkness here…
This home is well-protected by Love and Light.

11-5-2015