Hammonasset in Winter

To stand at the edge of the sea

to sense the ebb and flow of the tides

to feel the breath of a mist moving over a great salt marsh

to watch the flight of shore birds that have swept

up and down the surf lines of the continents for untold thousands of year

to see the running of the old eels and the young shad to the sea

is to have knowledge of things that are as nearly eternal

 as any earthly life can be.

 - Rachel Carson