Staying in a perfect moment .... pelican-style

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Today, my heart full with feeling for those caught up in yesterday's bombings in Boston, and after a session with my spiritual director, I walked down to the cliffs to see the ocean. Mainly, to take a breath (and I love the sea air and the brisk breeze promised that) and pause for a brief moment before continuing my day.


As I walked, I saw a small group of pelicans fly north, over the houses, it looked like, instead of over the water. I had missed seeing them on my previous visits so once I got to the cliffs, I looked up and down the coast for more.

There were more. It was the perfect gift and I quite greedily enjoyed it. I snapped a few photos but then instead of trying to get more pictures, I drank in the moment.
OK, I have to be honest here. I was uploading one of the photos below using my 1000 Gifts app and had to wait for it to finish sending it to Twitter and Facebook before I could take any more photos. BUT. Then, I stopped of my own accord...
I stood there, watching them approach, fly right over the top of me in their weaving, soaring way, and onward. I had this crazy grin as I walked away and into the rest of my day.

oh my gosh, it was so much fun to watch them. There was a couple in a nearby house doing some maintenance work, and one even looked briefly at them, and I wanted to yell and say "Hey! Look at them! Aren't they magnificent?" but I didn't. (See "greedy" above.)

I wrote the following at lunch:

Smudges on horizon ...
Black dots suspended 
Below graceful parentheses.
Calligraphy in the sky.

Flying in a serpentine line,
A sole wing flap echoes.
Cold, bracing wind
Transfigured into lazy floating,
Dancing.
Gift.

And here are a few pictures of the aforementioned brown pelicans:




Linking up with Jennifer's #TellHisStory


and Laura's Playdates with God.

Comments

  1. MaryApril 17, 2013 at 5:52 AM

    Love these pictures! You're so lucky to live by the ocean.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jennifer @ JenniferDukesLee.comApril 18, 2013 at 8:24 PM

    I think so many of us were seeking beauty this week, a week with so much ugly. Thanks for sharing the beauty, Leanne.

    ReplyDelete
  3. tinuvielApril 23, 2013 at 10:11 AM

    I have never seen pelicans before. What a gift God gave you at the perfect time! That poem is very striking, the parentheses image especially. Thank you for sharing this breath of beauty from your neck of the woods.

    May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you this week.

    ReplyDelete
  4. LauraApril 24, 2013 at 5:41 AM

    This is so lovely, Leanne. Yes, these moments must be savored. A reminder that we are not alone--we are held. Thanks for linking up with Playdates with God!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nancy SturmApril 28, 2013 at 12:19 AM

    Beautiful photos and poem! The ocean in one of my favorite places. As I now live in Kansas, I don't get to see the ocean very often. Thanks for the virtual visit! :-)

    ReplyDelete

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