Nature

Nature can be cruel and terrible, and is a consistent reminder of how transient and impermanent life can be on Earth. This fact alone, inspires me to try and see each day as a fresh start, a new beginning. Animals and plants have an unbelievable ability of adapting to changes in their environment and evolving, despite adversity. They have a certain grace, brought about by a courageous acceptance of their situation.

I caught the end of a documentary last week, which was about animals that have adapted their food habits to accommodate sudden changes in their environment. A pride of lionesses, hungry and unsuccessful in catching any prey, stumble upon a stray female elephant. They decide to stalk and attack her (this being uncharacteristic for lions to do). They jump her and start taking bites into her flesh. She is trumpetting wildly in fear and shock and begins to get worn down. At one point she lowers her front knees to the ground, a lioness clinging to her neck and she goes very quiet. I fear this is the end and feel quite disturbed at watching six lionesses endeavouring to eat an elephant alive. Then with a sudden burst of courage and energy, she fights of all the lionesses and charges into the forest. She escapes, to die, on her own terms. I was terribly moved by her grace and courage and that image will always stay with me.

I wrote the following poem a few weeks ago:


In the Life of a Tree

A tree doesn't fret about its future
It sits in solitude
In acceptance of its situation
Observing its fate
Rooted to the spot
It sways along with life's rhythm
Creaking in time
Rustling its notes
Neither sad nor happy
Time is irrelevant
For when its last leaf is born to the ground
All the moments of its breath
Have been complete and resonant
Its full purpose met