Nova Scotia 2003: I Am Warm, Full With Love

The genius and what guards 
the landscape of this place 
has shifted in a dance with leaves, 

a foot sinking into snow, 
an elegant turn of the ankle in sand, 
a twist of a wrist in greeting.

I wait for the signal 
that all is okay 
to advance to the next step.

I am on the beach with my parents 
near their home 
doing what I can do,

to support my mother and father, 
as he transforms the disease in his life,
while death slowly takes away his breath, 
changing his form, the form of his life.

I hear the Fir Tree scabs ooze a healing substance:

I hear the loud chirp of cicadas 
hiding in the trees 
during the spring dust storms in Beijing -

I hear the honk of motorcycles 
in the warring summer heat of Hanoi -

I hear the snorts of bulls 
fighting in rings 
in the autumn of Mexico -

I hear the cries of the farmers 
wrapped in winter wools 
arguing over prices at the market 
on the border of China, Russia and Korea.

In the mean time
the planet’s crust peels away, 

revealing our selves
to our selves ...
revealing our selves 
and our meaning into the light ...

only below the surface, 
just out of sight, 
our truth is not hiding.

I see a seagull cry over my head, 
wings in flight to somewhere.

I see a lobster boat brave the full moon waves 
carrying cargo to feed someone, somewhere.

Inside me, I hear ...
the thud of horse hooves, 
hitting the Earth in Mongolia ...

I hear the people in Iran 
as the Earth quakes ...
and many souls leave ...
many souls no longer in this world.

The Earth shudders waking the transient human guests –

mud slides, rain floods, human hands make bombs that blast –

many souls are silent as they transition to a place not of this world.

In the year of two thousand and one, 
I saw a whale breech the ocean,

then our boat was surrounded 
by hundreds of dolphins laughing.

We were celebrating our birth days.
My friend from Australia, and I,
We both thought of our families -
how much they would enjoy 

seeing the gift of this greeting.

We enjoyed all that we had in that moment of sight -
it was the sensible thing to do,
at least it was the sensitive thing we could do.

It was the best thing we did to expand our selves.
It is the best thing we can do to expand our selves,
to want more, to want to create more, 
to create more moments that are gifts.

To give ourselves permission to have more, 
have more moments that are gifts ...
to share these gifts.

In the mean-time, 
when times are mean, 
the images blur 
overwhelming my thoughts ...
Within the temperance of the temporary,

I feel the scabs ooze a healing substance 
into the below surface turmoil bubbling up.

At these times 
when it all seems too much, 
I do what I can do.

I untwist 
by reaching up into the sky; 
I allow the fog to roll between my fingers,

I allow wind to brush my hair from my eyes, 
I allow air to carry breath into my lungs,
and lick the ocean salt off my lips.

I allow my eyes to fill
with the depths 
of the ocean’s blues, 

and then, I allow, insight ...

I see the clouds move overhead, 
I see the sun stream down beams of light.

I breathe deep, 
and the coldness does not penetrate -

I am warm, 
full with love of this place, 
these people – 
my family.
Life is an act of love,
allowing love is an act of life.
I am warm, full with love.


~~ Other People's Fingerprints ~~
In 1999 Laurie Lacey wrote,
"There is a First Nations’ legend 
associated with the fir tree which relates
that the guardian of this tree
is a large Spirit Being 
whose body is covered with scabs.
The scabs are oozing 
a powerful healing substance.
These scabs with their fluid represent 
the balsam blisters on the trunk of the fir tree.
When the blisters are punctured, 
the sap oozes from them
and bleeds over the tree bark…”

"So Above, So Below"

by Karin Lisa Atkinson

Location: White Point Beach, Nova Scotia

"Warm Full of Love"

by Karin Lisa Atkinson

Location: Carter's Beach, Nova Scotia