goddess #29

abandoned husks of war remain

on this point of land jutting into chesapeake bay

now a refuge for birds and butterflies

in need of rest on their journey

from north to south

and back again.

may all beings find refuge.

Goddess #29 sits quite close to this bunker, built during WWII it housed 16-inch guns, then was turned over to the air force and served as a radar installation until 1981. It is now a wildlife refuge, that according to the National Wildlife Service, "is considered one of the most important migratory bird concentration points along the East Coast." It seems that millions of migratory birds travel down along the East Coast and then stop here before they find favorable winds so that they can safely cross Chesapeake Bay. In September, I am told, Monarch butterflies pass through in such numbers that the trees appear to be blooming with orange flowers. Goddess #29 overlooks this marsh. Although it was raining when I was there, and few creatures were in view, it was wonderful to feel the peace of the marsh, and to see the crumbling cement bunkers in the process of transforming back into the natural landscape.