Dance of light and dark
Last week, we enjoyed the autumn equinox:
That time of year when day and night are equally long
And a kind of balance hums throughout the world.
The earth slowly spins
In and out of the light and dark -
Like a child dipping her toes into deliciously inviting water.
This is also a metaphor about life:
A dance of light and dark
With peaceful moments of balance in between.
For more harmony, please visit: Skywatch.
River Art
A summer excursion I always enjoy is to wander along the banks of a slow-moving stream in the small town of Norrtälje to see the art installations.
The art is actually placed in the river. Like this one – Matilda Dreaming.
Apparently, she was one of the first people to open a savings account way back when and that red house represents the bank.
This sculpture sure got a lot of interest! (Yes – pun intended…)
As we meandered along in the warm sunshine, we spotted some numbskulls.
I liked the contrast between the white skulls and the living ducks.
There were lots more installations, but I got distracted by nature’s own art:
A reflection of the secret underside of a bridge.
And, finally, in a flourish of colours,
The small wooden houses along the river delighted me with their own wooden charm.
For more secret glimpses, please visit: Our World.
Goofy face
Oscar, my working golden retriever, never disappoints. He’s always ready to jump in and have some fun!
Shake…
Rattle…
And ready to roll!
Anyone want to join in?
For more goofy faces, please visit: Camera Critters.
Mist-ical
Another very early morning.
No sky to speak of.
Shrouds of mist that suddenly part to reveal
The dim figures of birds.
I can’t see anything. Fumble with the lens cap
And then just shoot where I can vaguely make out
A feathered soul floating in the sky.
It’s only when I upload my photos that I realize
The camera and heron worked in harmony
To give me the gift of these magically misty shots.
Sometimes not having a sky can be a gift in itself.
For clearer skies, please visit: Skywatch.
A boatful of gold
There is something special about the early autumn light:
A clarity that turns spider webs into pearls,
And leafy loveliness into stained glass windows.
It takes the first leaves of autumn
And turns them into amber beauty
And just before the sun sets
It fills the boats with liquid gold.
For more golden moments, please visit: Our World.
Bird brains
They gathered in a gaggle
Laughing and honking and flapping.
Time for their early morning beauty routine.
Preening in the mirrored lake
They seem to say that they know beauty is only feather deep,
But let them enjoy their time in the sun.
Oh – and next time you find yourself on a wild goose chase,
Just remember – that’s what wild geese are for!
For more preeners, please visit: Camera Critters.
This side of the rainbow
I don’t need to fly over the rainbow
When I can be here
Soaring in the sky with the lone heron
In the silence of dawn.
For more great pictures, please visit: Skywatch.
The miracle
It’s early. Very early.
The fog hangs in soft veils as I sneak outside, camera in hand.
Suddenly, a screech rips the sky in two to reveal
A single heron soaring in the blue dawn.
He is joined by two more – a feast for tired eyes.
They whirl, they dance, they leave me breathless
And speechless
Until they fade into the happily ever after
Of a new day.
For more miracles, please visit: Our World.
9/11
Sometimes I fear that we have not learnt that much over the past ten years.
Surely terrorism wins when we view ever potential friend as a stranger,
When we condemn people on sight by the way they look?
Violence breeds more violence, or as Gandhi put it:
“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”
Compassion and kindness in the face of hate are the most difficult things to show.
But if we want to make the world a better place, then we have to try.
Call me naive, but I still dream of a world without hate and prejudice.
Lighting the way
Even after all this time,
The sun never says to the earth,
You owe me.
Look what happens with
A love like that.
It lights the whole sky.
~ Hafiz of Persia
A luminous heaven, summer perfection, serenity at sunset.
Moments like these take my breath away.
For more glory, please visit: Skywatch.
The dragonflies of summer
The dragonflies of summer grace us with their presence for such a short, sweet time:
A sister with sunlit neck,
A jewel with golden wings,
The bitter-sweet shimmer of beauty glimpsed
Uplifting us for a second
Before it – like summer – starts fading into the blue.
For more jewels, please visit the new home of: Our World.
And remember – you can join the Our World community on Facebook too.
The acrobat
Most snails inch their way along the stems of flowers
Planting their whole body onto the leaves
Following the trail of those who have gone before.
But – every now and then – one snail stands out.
You can find her doing cartwheels
Or hanging upside down.
She stands out in a crowd. The adventurer. The daring one.
Have you ever noticed how some people are just like snails?
For more circus acts, please visit: Camera Critters.
Revelation
Imagine, if you will, the stillness of
The very early morning – the world
Wrapped tightly in sleep and fog.
Suddenly, the mist is pierced
By magical fingers of light.
An illumination of world and soul -
Where the light does not reveal anything,
But is itself the revelation.
For more heavenly revelations, please visit: Skywatch.
Who says what?