Flying Geese
Tonight the mild autumn evening coaxed many families to stay longer at the local park’s playground. It was the same scene—the older kids climbed on the roofs of the equipment acting astonished at their own bravery, but the parents who’d seen the stunt 100 times since their own first terrified gasp could not be bothered to even look up. The parents of younger kids also looked down out of necessity as their toddlers struggled to climb the slide’s stairs or their infants in strollers reached their hands out toward the purpling sky. But then an approaching honking gained the collective attention of the park goers and everyone paused and looked up as a formation of geese flew low over the park the slight swish of their wingbeats audible. Parents pointed up, kids thrust their chins skyward and one young boy commented on the formation “look they are making that check mark.”
During the day these geese are an entertaining part of the park experience though they border on menace. Poop covers the bike and walking paths and nearly every stretch of grass, and the geese will resort to hissing if one strides or pedals too close—especially in spring when goslings are present. And the thick body and long neck of a goose on foot is just simply comical. Their commonplace presence strips them of the respect and attention given to other wildlife. Children chase them, even throw rocks at them, but for the most part they are ignored. They’ve become part of the background.
But in this moment at the end of a sunny September day on one of the last truly warm evenings of the year, they’ve caught the attention of the whole playground. And we all raise our heads in wonder as the geese check our expectations and remind us that even here if we stay out long enough the evening sky fills up with wild things.
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