Sunday, April 11, 2010

Float the Earth


Up way too early, I decided to walk up to the pond to see what was happening. I relished that lovely stillness, all quiet except for a mourning dove's lonely call and the distant tapping of a woodpecker. One to lull you, the other to wake you and make you pay attention. Thrillingly, countless black polliwogs were wriggling through the water like three-dimensional commas, or resting on submerged leaves, tiny tails pointed. I balanced on two rocks to get a close-up photo of them, which obviously was just not that great. (At least this time I managed to escape without a shoe full of muddy water.) That beautiful eastern light illuminated the muted April setting, placed the sky in the pond's silver bowl, and set the reflections dancing.

Here are two fitting quotes from Walden by Henry David Thoreau:

"It is well to have some water in the neighborhood, to give buoyancy to and float the earth." -- Henry David Thoreau

Later in Walden he writes:

"There can be no very black melancholy to him who lives in the midst of nature and has his senses still." -- Henry David Thoreau

Truth.

Click on images to enlarge. Maybe then you can see the polliwogs in the lower picture. Both photos taken 4/11/10.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

I love that first shot with the different layers of reflections. Pleased to see the pond is brimming with life!

Deborah Batterman said...

Notice the qualifying 'very' (i.e. no very black melancholy) in the Thoreau quote. It is springtime, and it is bittersweet in ways. And the balance does, thankfully, shift to the joy. All those birds! All that music!

Admin said...

I'm so, so craving some stillness. Looking forward to the day when I move out of the "big city". :) And funny...as a teenager I couldn't wait to live here. Now that I'm here I want back out. ...

Christine said...

Hi, Annie. Thanks ... it's such a boost to watch the world unfurling.

Christine said...

Hello, Deborah! Yes, love all the sweeter changes. As I opened the door to leave work the other day, there was still gorgeous light and even birdsong to greet us. Yes, "all that music!" Uplifting.

Christine said...

Vesper! There you are. I can understand that ... and can picture you in a more leafy, rural setting. The stillness is precious. I hope you are well?

Admin said...

:) Yes I'm well! :) Haven't been blogging as much as I'd like to, but I do post some art I find at http://vesper7.tumblr.com.

I'm working on an ebook of my short fiction. Not sure when it will be ready to publish, but I'm working with an artist for the cover art, and all is going well so far. xo

Pam said...

I like the stillness of this.

Christine said...

Vesper, so glad you are well and being creative. I will be in touch.

Christine said...

Hi, Pam -- the stillness is a balm. Hope our paths intersect soon.