Went for a bushwalk the
other day just on the edge of the village, camera in hand to see what delights
I could find. As I wandered looking for the first signs of native ground
orchids, this sight greeted me along one track bringing me to a halt and making
me smile. It prompted me to wonder how it found its way there, and who might
have left it.
Was it just a piece of junk,
dumped before its final destination, or did it hold a message as it stood in
stark contrast to its surroundings. Was the person who carried it looking for a
spot to sit a while, find some peace and quiet, reconnect with creation and be
refreshed.
The humble discarded kitchen
chair could be regarded as cluttering the scene, but it beckoned…
“Sit down, take a spell
close your eyes a while
listen to the silence
see if you don’t smile.”
A rock or stump would have sufficed,
but if the chair hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have stopped to wonder at this
incongruous addition to the scenery. I would have kept going, enjoying the walk,
but stopping for a while helped me take time to use my senses more keenly. Listening,
touching, even if it did mean a leech wanted to have a go at me, smelling,
looking closer, seeing both the beauty of the bush as a whole, as well as observing
the intricate details of moss and lichen, bark and ferns, rocks and fungi.
Tuning into the spirit of
the place, letting the bush pass through me, instead of me simply passing
through the bush.
Red chair sitting there
By the bush track
Says loud and clear
Come sit a while
Before you head on back.
