It was a cloudy, grey day, but my heart longed to hear the early spring birds that were gathered at the lakeside, so we drove again to our favorite spot.
What a difference
there was at the lake this week!
The Park District
had managed their
"controlled burn"
over most of the land there.
The Land Cries
The burned over land
aches in chagrin, wait and see
New joy will grow soon.
--Bettie Gilbert
It's certainly not a pretty sight there now. But those controlled, or prescribed burns are so necessary to steward and manage the lands for conservation. According to the Wisconsin DNR's site, "State wildlife officials conduct prescribed burns on public lands
throughout Wisconsin in the spring to improve wildlife habitat, control
invasive plant species, restore and maintain native plant communities
and reduce wildfire potential."
Did you know that many native grasses and wildflowers develop deep roots that can withstand the high heat of the fires, while the invasive plants are shallow rooted, and give way to the heat?
So, where does that leave my heart
when the fires rage inside?
The Fire Within
Burned over heart, the
Chagrin of it all, bubbling
Joy is now set free
--Bettie Gilbert
"We went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a place of abundance."
but you brought us to a place of abundance."
Left to myself, I would choose clear skies and balmy breezes every day. But just as necessary as rain, the fire serves its purpose also.
May I learn to wait and watch
for the joy yet to come
After the fire
and after the rain.
These #Haiku are prompted by the #Poetry Challenge put forth by Ronovan Hester over at his site:
where the prompts this week are "Chagrin&Joy."
Join me there, and give it a try!
I am linking today with:
Meg Weyerbacher, #TeaAndWordTuesday
Jennifer Dukes Lee, #TellHisStory
I am linking today with:
Meg Weyerbacher, #TeaAndWordTuesday
Jennifer Dukes Lee, #TellHisStory
