Demarcation

July 26 2019

Paddling

into the wind-shadow

in the small island's lee

its battered trees leaning

exposed rock

thin tenacious soil,

the sudden calm startled me.

The roar of wind lifted

and only silence remained,

as the tension left my body

the canoe drifted lazily

my hands released their grip.

Alone with my thoughts

in this unlikely oasis of peace,

snuggling in

behind its gently curving shore.

We crave interludes like this,

where time time slows

ambition wanes

and our dubious labours

reap their just rewards.

In a wind as stiff as this

the line is sharp

between the protected lee

and open water.

If only life

were as unambiguously ruled.

I look down

at my blurred reflection

in the flatly mirrored surface

pondering 

my imperfect self.

Lean back

and look out at the churning lake,

its darkened surface

white-flecked waves.

Cats-paws that race,

touching down

then spinning out.

The only way home

is back through the squall.

So I gather myself

tighten my grip

brace my knees.

Nose out

over that hard line of demarcation

and feel the wind's powerful hand

grab the bow

whip it around

scoot me down before it.

Overpowering

my futile stroke.

This is the time of year when I'm out in the canoe a lot. Paddling solo, accompanied by the dogs. They mostly swim, cruise through the shallows, or deke along the shore; where I'm sure, by now, they've created their own rough paths through the dense underbrush. Poems sometimes come to mind as I paddle.

Rhythmic activities like this are good for getting lost in thought. Like walking. Or X-C skiing on consistent terrain, when your body finds its pace and your mind drifts off. Or swimming, especially in open water, when you can settle into autopilot without the distraction of bulkheads and buoy lines.

Eddying out of a stiff wind into the calm lee of an island is such a great relief. A time to pause, to sit back and gather yourself, to enjoy the scenery. Rare “time-out” moments like this occur in life, as well; moments to be cherished and explored; moments for introspection. It wouldn't have been enough to have written a poem of simple description. Especially one with which most readers wouldn't easily identify. So it needed to be rescued with a more ambitious allusion. I hope that attempt at a more universal and accessible message doesn't strike the reader as over-reach or pretension.