Head-Clearing Near the River

Posted byKathleen Cassen MickelsonPosted inmindfulness, nature, path forwardTags:, , , , , , , , ,

Yesterday, I woke up out of sorts. A little angry. A little fearful. Not the way I like to start my day.

I knew exactly what I had to do.

By 7:00 a.m., Mick and I were heading out the door. We didn’t have to go far – just a few miles on the other side of St. Paul to Lilydale, where there is a trailhead by the Mississippi River. The trail itself winds beneath I-35E, follows riverside railroad tracks, offers overlooks every so often.

Our starting point for a walk along the river.

The morning was dark, damp, noir-ish. Trees, their limbs mostly bare now that it’s mid-November, raked the low-hanging clouds. We hadn’t gone far when we saw a bald eagle surveying the river banks.

Eagles hang out along the Mississippi River. Even in dim light, their hooked beaks and white heads make them easy to identify.

The eagle was my first moment of awe. When I was a kid, it was rare to see an eagle. Now, I notice them more often, perhaps because of where I tend to hike, but also because of efforts to stop poisoning them with lead and DDT over my lifetime. This eagle had a presence that was graceful, strong. An example to be considered.

My second moment of awe unfolded as I noticed water droplets hanging from some kind of berry-bearing shrub. In the dark morning, the droplets made a chandelier of the shrub, reflecting what little light there was and reminding me that not everything is as dark as it first seems. Our eyes adjust and we find the glimmers.

I had a little trouble getting my iPhone to focus on these droplets, but I tried.

Other moments of awe followed. The sound of water trickling over limestone cliffs. The smell of fallen leaves decomposing into the soil. The smooth glass of the river’s surface. Woodpeckers’ black-and-white bodies flashing through tree branches. Squirrels chattering while sitting on high tree limbs, their furry tails arced into question-marks on their backs.

Mick and I walked for three miles, saw only one other human being. As we settled back into our car, we both felt better. The sun never came out, the morning remained damp and dark, but a walk along the river still offered magic.

Later in the day, a friend on Facebook asked what pieces of advice we could share with each other in this moment, something we believed with our whole heart. I offered mine: “Going for a walk outside always clears your head, even if the weather is crummy.” She answered me with, “Truth.”

Truth indeed.

All photos by kcmickelson 2024.

Published by Kathleen Cassen Mickelson

Kathleen Cassen Mickelson is a Minnesota-based writer who has published work in journals in the US, UK, and Canada. She is the author of the poetry chapbook How We Learned to Shut Our Own Mouths (Gyroscope Press, 2021) and co-author of the poetry collection Prayer Gardening (Kelsay Books, 2023).

16 thoughts on “Head-Clearing Near the River”

  1. “Truth” This was such a lovely and calming walk. There is something about the way eagles offer a strong, graceful presence, no matter weather or circumstances.

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  7. Nature is a surefire cure, capable of changing how we feel when we take the time to get out in it. Love this piece Kathleen and how it’s so appealing to all the senses. Thank you. xoA ❤

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