Magic of Matchedash

At the northern edge of Matchedash Bay, the mostly easternly part of Georgian Bay of Lake Huron, we found a channel inviting us into the heart of the marsh.  Muskrats dove as we our red canoe approached, long rat tails disappearing beneath the water’s surface.  A male osprey circled on arched wings overhead, chased by protective red winged blackbirds who fiercely attacked this fish hawk who meant no harm.  Eventually he landed on a perch above his nesting partner and the proactive protagonists retreated.

The channel twisted and ran past a stand of newly leafed, vibrant spring-green trees and greybrown snags long dead but still standing.  From their branches dead and alive emerged a beautiful collection of bird calls, an avian symphony.  Each sang its song brightly with no apologies.  Singing the songs of their species, they sang their heartsongs.  The bird songs became words in my brain.  “I am golden light”, “I am liquid gold,” “I am the brave protector,” “Stay away from my chicks,” “I am here but you can’t see me.”  I wondered about the song each human sings.  What are our heartsongs – the songs specific to each one of us?  What if we all sang our songs without apologies?  Would that be as beautiful as this bird chorus?

Farther along the channel, I saw the reflection of new cattails (kittentails really) mirrored in the water in a near perfect likeness.  But our paddles made the water turbulent and the image was blurred beyond recognition.  I wonder if we can be still, can we reflect the true image of a person back to the?  Mostly, I think we are turbulent and distort their image.  But perhaps if we can be patient and breath and let the water settle then maybe they will be able to see their true selves reflected in our eyes.  The beauty of their being just being.

Generous as ever, the marsh offered its wisdom to humans trying to remember what it is to be human, what it is to remember that we are a part of all of this.  Remembering from the past and imagining for the future our connection to all of life, remembering our heartsongs, remembering the beauty of our being.