A New Year's Poem

Forget Brexit, and block out Trump

Sunrise over Annapolis Royal, Christmas Day, 2018

The world abounds with hate and greed

Wisdom wanes as tolerance slumps

What a mess we have indeed

Forget the wars and all the drought

Tsunamis, eruptions of any kind

There’s lots to do without a doubt

There’s much that troubles a caring mind

Right here at home there’s such great need

In our backyards or close at hand

There’s shelters to build and kids to feed

And much to do in this great land

The aged need care and our respect

The poor are all around we know

It’s time to do, not just reflect

The seed of kindness we must sow.

The world’s in motion, such disarray

Change is coming at quickened pace

This challenge will not go away

We must prepare and then embrace.

A Toast to the Season

This is our first Christmas season at home in nine years. It is also our first Christmas season in Nova Scotia and in our new home. So, we have been getting our fill of Christmassy things. This includes lots of music: Celtic music at the local brew pub, Blues and Country at another nearby pub, a classical trio concert with a novel twist at a gallery, two choral concerts, one traditional and one not-so, and an evening of seasonal classical and contemporary guitar and vocal music at the local theatre. We have, ourselves, participated in two benefits for local food banks, one on the Fundy Shore and one on the Atlantic shore of Nova Scotia.

The other evening we were at one of these pubs to hear a number of musicians, one of whom we knew, play a mix of secular and spiritual Christmas music mixed in with some old time blues and folk. It was a very festive event. We even donned silly hats. 

Of course, the Christmas season is a time for giving and for being grateful, whether or not one is of a religious bent. It is the time of the Winter Solstice, the marking of the return of the sun northward and of increasing daylight. It is a time for reflection and new beginnings.

After our meal, and a good amount of music it was also time for us to head home. The lead musicians were taking a break and a fresh group of them was about to play a set.  I returned our loaned hats. John went to the bar to pay our tab.

One of the female musicians was a wonderful mandolin player. People seemed to know her, but we did not. During the break she was already at the bar getting a beer when John went up to pay.  The bartender handed her her beer and then asked John what he would like. John said: “I’m paying”. On hearing these words, the musician turned without hesitation to John and said “Thank you very much”, shook his hand and as she left: “Merry Christmas”.

John wasn’t sure what had just happened. Had she been joking? The bartender asked John if she should add this to his tab, or did he want to pay separately. John laughed and said: I’ll pay now.

Sometimes good deeds are thrust upon us.

Watching

I am not sure I had thought about what wildlife we might see here on the Annapolis Basin. We don’t see the bear and the coyotes or wolves we used to see at our former home in the Northumberland Hills of Ontario. We do see the deer in the vicinity; but not from our windows as we had been accustomed to. But we see amazing creatures… many of them feathered. And this magnificent bird appeared in our tree outside our rear living room this morning as I was doing my ritual exercises.

It sat there for a good 45 minutes, looking around patiently. Watching. Being watched. Snowflakes drifting by. The tide receding. The sun hinting at possible appearance.

It wasn't it's first appearance. We've seen it on our beach this past spring and early summer. It has flown over our deck this fall. There are at least two of them about. Hovering over the water. Taunted by the gulls. Giving us delight.