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“Enlightenment is like everyday consciousness but two inches above the ground.”
– D. T. Suzuki
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A few years ago,
Stephen and I,
decided to create a pond in our garden.
It was a rash and foolish idea,
as neither of us considered the backbreaking work such an endeavour involved,
as the earth below the soft surface is hard,
blood, sweat, and tears were spilled,
and absorbed by the earth,
however we soldiered on,
and eventually a rather strange,
and beautiful oasis was born,
in an old nettle and bramble patch.
There are still nettles and brambles there,
they are much appreciated by nature.
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This pond has become a haven for local wildlife,
and the local wildlife is an inspiring haven for us.
Flying dragons,
were some of our first visitors,
one even blessed our pond,
by laying its eggs,
on an old log we’d placed in the water,
that was an exciting experience,
as it allowed us to observe,
(as long as we agreed not to disturb it by trying to photograph such an intimate moment)
a reward for a job well done.
A while later,
Stephen captured the recent emergence,
of a dragonfly,
from its chrysalis.
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“One must be deeply aware of the impermanence of the world.”
― Dōgen
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THE ICONOPHILE 