Bonfire: a Writers' Resource - contribution by David Ritchie

NOVEMBER AT SNEE-OOSH BEACH

If you and I are quiet
we can hear the whisper
of spirits dancing
on the little shore-stones
in November at Snee-oosh Beach.
We will go there first
at daybreak
to see and touch the driftwood
spirits use to make their way
to places we know not.
From a distance you can see
their sterling silver sheath
and eloquent human forms
in undisturbed procession
along the shoreline.
We will sit upon the wet sand
while the slender fingers of the tide
shyly reach out to touch us,
with all due form and manners:
on the leg or on the foot
just to get our attention,
and remind us of it’s relevance.
The flawless patina-- not white,
not white nor gray of common driftwood-
but the way the streaming rays of the sun
are reflected back upon themselves-
tell you it is sweetly full
of soul-life.
Look at the way the branches
look back upon themselves,
to calm their transition from the sea.
Their patina then explodes
in a rainbow of glory
as their life has come again.

Commentary:

I reside on the Swinomish Indian Reservation property half-way between Seattle, Washington, and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Near me is Snee-oosh Beach which is a crescent shaped beach providing about three miles of walking. Being near the famous, and quite dangerous, Deception Pass, where the conflicting tides run up to 12-15 knots at flood, Snee-oosh Beach tends to get the very large pieces of driftwood. This area in general is a timber producing area, and has a significant old-growth forest. Walking along the beach in the early morning, or in the late evening, creates an eerie scene. The color of the water, the frequent white caps, the gray-blue air, and the green-to-slate blue rim of sky still showing just above the Olympic Mountains. The oldest of the large driftwood bodies have attained a patina of beautiful silver. It reflects the sun’s rays in a visible arc, and takes on a significant beauty and brightness in the full moon. The waves coming to shore here are small compared to California, or even to our own ocean beaches. I found it memorable when I was standing on the beach one evening, admiring the incredible driftwood, when a little wave ended just touching my foot, and it seemed to remind me that it was the vehicle by which the driftwood could travel anywhere. I hope I have described the inspiration of this piece clearly.

David Ritchie
Bonfire contributor