Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary
my place of solace for many years
each season with its own delights
fall uncovers skeletal symmetry of branches against blue sky
winter snow reveals footprints of deer and bunnies
in spring, the squawking cacophony of frogs
mixes with a riotous symphony of bird song
and summer’s lazy heat brings turtles out to bask
Yet on this post-election day in 2024
my search for solace is thwarted
83 degree heat so abnormal for November
out of sync with the deep crunching of leaves underfoot
in fall attire, I sweat as I trudge along
leaves crackling like wildfire
The air here smells of smoke
weaker than in my neighborhood
but still noticeable
so many fires burning in Massachusetts
it’s like we’ve morphed into California
fires are all over New England
it hasn’t rained for ages
and last week I saw mockingbirds mating
and a mosquito bit me
All the seasons are out of whack
the earth herself feels off kilter
I try to be in the moment
focus on the beauty and calm of the woods
but a sense of foreboding is ever present now
like smoldering fires underground
that wait to erupt
—
Jac-Lynn Stark was born in the Bronx and currently lives on the North Shore of Boston where she enjoys pondering life either from near the ocean or in the woods. She has an M.A. in English from Louisiana State University and an M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She recently retired from 14 years of teaching English at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston. Her work has been published in Writing by Heart: A Poetry Path to Healing and Self-Discovery, Nimrod International Journal, American Graveyard, calls to end gun violence (an anthology from Read or Green Books), Muddy River Poetry Review, Global Poemic, and others.
