The Seagull Movie Theatre

Dozens of seagulls soar over the lake, their wings spread wide.  On occasion one swoops down to scoop up a fish from the lake, the air pierced by its squawk.  Other seagulls hop on the beach, their footprints peppering the sand.  A loan seagull perches on a sandcastle abandoned by its maker.  While they’re not the prettiest bird, there is something beautiful about them.  Up and down the beach they fly against the backdrop of the azure sky.  As the sun approaches the horizon, the sandcastle starts to crumble.  The school of fish retreat to the bottom of the lake.  And, one by one, the seagulls congregate on a large patch of flattened sand further down the beach.  My daughter Jacqueline calls it the “Seagull Movie Theatre”.   The moon, full and harvest-like, fills the sky as the seagulls settle in for tonight’s feature.  And when the movie ends, the seagulls will spread their wings and fly over the lake once again.