The Adventure into Nature Begins
BIG BLACK
Prelude To Clay Pond
The story of Clay Pond is more than a legend; its an actual account of the lives of every one who ever lived here. Each creature was important, and no one was superior to any one else. The pond was created by a meteor landing at the site of an artesian well. This pond was spring fed as a result and would never run dry.
Lilies began popping up all around the edges; touching the water. Every possible color was seen, especially from the trees. Today we visit Big Black.
Big Black
Clay Pond is home to many friends. A few are enemies too. The longer you live here, the more you learn 'who is who' around the pond. Big Black is the large resident bass who hangs in the area of thick weeds around the North edge of Clay Pond.
As long as no creature on the pond goes near his living space, all is well. Big Black found it much cooler lurking among the duck weeds, where the springs of water rush into the pond. It is where more oxygen is supplied to the water, which a fish needs a fresh gulp of from time to time.
Freddie the Frog once swam too close to Big Black's home and nearly lost his life. If it hadn't been for the large snake meandering through at the time, it would have been curtains for our frog. Big Black loved to snack on snakes, and for this reason everyone at Clay Pond enjoyed having him around. Our big fish was never a bother as long as all kept a safe distance.
In another part of the pond a young female bass was nearly hooked by a visiting fisherman. Big Black grabbed the line and hauled it into his own tangle of weeds. All our fisherman got that day was a hook full of duck weeds for all his trouble.
Big Black then began keeping a closer eye on this young female fish. This was a good thing that served to divert his attention from all of the other pond residents. He was obviously 'love struck' as the eyes of the large bass glowed red whenever he was around the younger she-bass. Her eyes in turn twinkled as she saw him also.
Our big bass will be busy now for a while, swooning over his new friend. You might say he had 'bigger fish to fry' than any of us. We were safe for now.
Life's most precious resource is leaving us.
Once Gone - It's Gone Forever
by Don Ford
Water cascades over the brink
Falling, spilling endlessly
No effort expended in the fall
Always leaving, not returning
Gone but followed on its heels
Behind itself more water comes
Continues on in moving cycles
Tumbling, rumbling sounds heard
Rising bubbles and foam churning
At the bottom briskly carried off
Can water run and last forever?
Will it always quench the thirst?
How we care for these cool waters
Well determines what's in store
Someday, soon, brooks are silent
Maybe no more streams and rivers
Gone the sound of water lapping
Will shorelines matter any more?
Can we shake the guilt and blame?
The waters can never return again.
Author Notes
This is a free verse poem that is not meant to rhyme. Only time will tell how long before we use up this life giving flow. There are efforts under way to conserve this resource and to clean up the pollutants found in it.
But is there enough time left? We better all hope and pray there is! It seems that time is never on our side.
SPECIAL Note: This arrived this morning. A lake near us is being reclaimed and is starting to look pretty good. This is great news, since this lake has been on the worst water environmental list for some time.
