Northern Enlightenment

~ Light in the coldest of times seeps across frozen marshland; the rocky terrain beneath my feet reminds me of the spring which shall come, whether I live to see it or not. ~

Seals call for their mates, then huddling in masses of slippery blubber they settle quietly in the last rays of sunlight. From the bird watching station I observe the clunking bits of ice creating tiny islands from the shore to the horizon. The silence reverberates within me, just this beauty, this moment between now and the next.

Where is the line between here, this peace, and the maddened unrest in the world? Overwhelmed from "just too much" I know the tears will come yet other than an instance of self relief what more do they serve?

Tranquil as the skies may be, unrest rallies around this wondrous planet, all of it created by humans, not sunsets, nor the wind; the seasons will change regardless of the beauty we walk through or pass by.

Billows of clouds above, billions of feet below, barren as it appears today nature is at work creating her next masterpiece. What are we creating? We, the collective who choose our new shoes more carefully than our next word?

From the highest perch the view can be observed, swallowed, and enlighten one's soul yet regretfully it depends on who climbs the rickety stairs to the top. What I see, breathe in and am moved by could be discarded as a disappointing field trip to another. Unless you never left the igloo, you've likely seen a bird. I guess, some of us don't leave the confines of our surroundings, rather our deeper environment we create. And, even if we do venture out under the same pink skies, why, just knowing that we'll never all see the glorious bits of just being alive is in some way another reason for a tear to fall.

The saying, "wisdom comes with age" is clearly not true when I see certain elders in powerful positions grasping for what is not for them to behold. Power. Such is the ego. As much as one may loathe greed, in our individual ways we all struggle with a little piece of needing control over something, sometimes.

I want to assume we are reasonable minds and know what is unfolding in the world of humankind at this time is ugly. I want to assume we all want a peaceful horizon, to breathe in the quiet beauty of nature to heal our weary souls.

And still. As sure a spring, a male seal will kill a pup.