Rest upon Her Vernal Pond- for the funeral of Sandra Greenwald 1953-2022
Rest upon Her Vernal Pond 4/29/22 Dear Grandchildren of Sandra, Ever since Grandma Sandy and Grandpa Denny built that house on a Vandecar hill before you were born, She always adored the wetland area below the house. Each Spring, it so reliably filled with Discontented snow’s meltwater And rain runoff, croaking peeping frogs, languid mallards, powder blue birds, climbing wood ducks, bickering geese, A lording screech owl, And that vernal pond’s pledge for a glorious summer. Some might say, “Who could love a swamp?” But, Sandy certainly did. She built a dock across it over time- For there she found serenity in regularly Quieting her mind and body Long enough to get right down to water level To get the best of countless photos Of leopard frogs and warty toads Spying just above the duckweed. It was in that calm that she breathed Nature’s life-giving and healing gifts so deeply to capture jerky jays And impossibly clear moon shots And snaps of pileated woodpeckers Cracking
