A sea of green, a happy, chatting rail,

Swallows, hummingbirds, egrets, terns and gulls,

An ebbing tide reveals the muddy swale

That serves up sustenance for waders. Hulls

And shells, empty, litter the banks and flats,

The bubbling sulfurous ooze from which the grass

Emerges. Life-affirming, luscious mats,

Acres of green shelter broken by glass-

Smooth rivulets of backwater life blood,

The brackish water, host of life for all

Who inhabit this God-like place. It’s good

And plenty, clean, and still alive. The tall

Loblolly pines in the distance protect

This peaceful, flat wet scape that’s just perfect.