Beloved

Sweet little village,
everything one needs at
the main intersection: post office,
CoOp grocery, and a view of the harbour;
across the water, Wah'nah'juss - stately, regal,
guardian of Nutchuks, which means
all along the mountains.
Wispy clouds grace its peaks
this sunny summer morning.
My heart expands.

At the beach, sitting on a log in the sun,
my eyes trace the familiar
wind-sculpted shapes
of the trees on c̓ixʔwatsac,
each time comfortingly the same,
grounding my vision.

Sky and sand and sea,
surf and clouds and small forested islands,
a heart full of gratitude -
and everything,
everywhere I look,
beloved.