Who said things have come to a standstill?

Who said things have come to a standstill?

The daffodils opened a few weeks ago

'Fluttering and dancing in the breeze', 

They whisper tales of hope

When I went out for a walk in the woods,

I spotted a yellow and white bedecked carpet

And felt my heart leap

As the wildflowers hummed cheerful tunes from forest beds

The birds have laid eggs

In the exhaust vent from my kitchen hood

Their constant chirrups punctuate the quiet of my kitchen

As dishes sauté and simmer on my warm stove

Last evening, I spotted a little bunny

Camouflaged by sage stubble

Nibbling tender grass in my backyard,

The kit hopped around with measured caution

A tiny squirrel appeared on the fence

Watching and thinking-

‘This little fella on the ground looks like me,

He may have bigger ears, but for sure my tail's bushier’

Thinking such thoughts, it lingered for a minute

And, jumped onto the pine tree

Thinking more thoughts -

‘More things to do, more cones to nibble…’

Who said things have come to a standstill?

STAY STILL

Imagine you are staying in a small wood cabin in the middle of a deep forest. It's night. Through the foggy window of your cabin you see the moon. It appears blissful, but is looking for a kindred spirit. A meditative soul. The stars are hibernating.

Outside your window, the trees are covered in snow. There is no breeze to shake some snow shavings off the branches. You are carried away by the thought of foxes trotting across the niveous landscape, looking for things that matter to them.

Your fingers clutch a tea cup tightly. Your room is just about lit, just about heated to keep you minimally warm. The world is still except for the golden coloured liquid wobbling in your white tea cup. The more you observe the contrast, the more you are enamored. By its colour, its life, its vivacity. 

 You don't have an internet connection or a mobile phone. You are far from the city. You have books for company, carefully chosen ones. The tea gets replenished, each time, the stillness of the world and the exuberance of the liquid touch you.

You look inside. You look outside. You form connections. You look back. Like a movie reel that plays reverse, your life unravels in slow motion. You traveled a lot, worked a lot, sent thousands of messages over SMS and WhatsApp, posted on FB, made phone calls, chattered endlessly, built a business, built someone else's business, and came back home tired. You felt low once in a while. In spite of all this action and commotion, a void remained. 

You wanted more technological progress. You also longed for unspoilt places. 

Deep in the woods, you find your lost soul. You feel the void no more. You stand still while it gets filled. You don’t make haste to pick up your mobile phone to check the last message that came in with a beep.

You are now visiting the woods, going back to the pristine, to whatever is left after your constant rummaging. You have now discovered that your windows are more transparent than the many flat screens that once filled your life. As you venture into the woods, pay heed to this reminder from Robert Baden-Powell. "When through with a camp-site, take care to leave two things behind. Firstly: nothing, Secondly: your thanks" 

Gratitude is the best emotion to ring in the NEW YEAR with. Happy New Year.

 (Image courtesy: www.desktopnexus.com)