Plague Journal, Enveloped With Beauty
Today promises to be gray and chilly. Rain and snow is predicted, — spring in the Midwest. I plan to be out and about, walking with my camera. This is the time of birth in the cycle of the seasons. Who would not wish to be on hand when new life is emerging to light, to the possibility of fruitfulness? I hope to gather a few more photos which in the passage of time will be memories of springtime 2021. These were taken yesterday.
There they were, dignified, invisible,
Moving without pressure, over the dead leaves,
In the autumn heat, through the vibrant air,
And the bird called, in response to
The unheard music hidden in the shrubbery,
And the unseen eyebeam crossed, for the roses
Had the look of flowers that are looked at.
There they were as our guests, accepted and accepting.
So we moved, and they, in a formal pattern,…
…human kind
Cannot bear very much reality.
Time past and time future
What might have been and what has been
Point to one end, which is always present.
— Excerpt, Burnt Norton by T. S. Eliot
2 thoughts on “Plague Journal, Enveloped With Beauty”
So, beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. As a gardener, I view your offered images and what I see in the middle two photographs is a tenacious weed that takes over my garden. From the internet:
“Creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea), also known as ‘ground ivy,’ is an aromatic evergreen that is a close relative of mint.”
This obnoxious invasive species from Northern Europe is a bane to many of us who would like to believe we can control nature (we can’t), and so we pull it and curse it and spray it when it’s possible, all to little avail.
And yet, when you view it through your camera lens or pull a piece to breathe in the aromatic mint quality, you are smitten with its beauty and fragrance. What each of us brings to the table when experiencing any artifact varies across the board. This is true of philosophy as well. Whatever piece of colored glass we choose as our lens will alter what we think of as truth. No wonder we have such a difficult time creating consensus.
I think too, that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Should we be surprised, or disappointed that we are invited to dance with “reality,” that there is no fixed, eternally unchanged substrate? If we listen, we can hear the music, if we look paradise is all around.
And yes the lens colors, determines what is seen, what is concealed. Therefore, philosophy or any other art form is best pursued in company with others, a company of friends offering their individual differences, points-of-view. So that’s why I keep buying books?!
A garden is the joint production of Nature and the gardener, whose vision is executed by means of the imposed boundaries, and the discipline of mindful work. A weed whip is one remedy for Creeping Charlie.