I ask first the trees, honoring the foliage
that shades fragile skin, Will you take root
in my heart?
I ask the black and gold glittering sands,
Will you accept the imprint of my passing?
I ask the ocean, placing palms and soles
upon shores cooled by your blessing,
Can you cleanse away the temporal madness
enjoining me to a fractured humanity?
I ask the pali, jutting purposefully out
and over the sea, What shall I sacrifice
to your astounding beauty so that you might
endure all that is yet to come?
I sit in wonder and my spirit is calmed,
as the breeze gently enfolds her daughter,
whispering, whispering:
This is all: you are my eyes and ears;
you feel our is-ness, your hand records
our passing, awakening others who might,
in their own time, and in their way, return
to us pure and whole and healed.
all images © 2019 Bela Johnson
This is beautiful Bela, your poem, the pictures … all of it.
I quote : ” I ask the black and gold glittering sands,
Will you accept the imprint of my passing? ”
I think it will
Miriam
Mahalo, Miriam. I was literally doing ritual with a group of Hawaiian women I have written with for several years now. And the photos are of the place we visited. We agreed to sit and write down our first perceptions of the place, and there you are. 😉 Glad it pleased you. Aloha <3
What a spontaneous flow of thoughts Bela! My true sentiments! How could you know them so well soul sister!!
I know those trees already have embedded themselves in our hearts, those sands speak innumerable stories, the ocean and the sky and the clouds…all know how much we love their whispers. Thank you for saying it so well. Love your choice of words.
Mahalo, Balroop. Indeed these were spontaneous, as I expressed to Miriam just now. A group of us visited this sacred place, and sat for 20 minutes to express our impressions. I was overwhelmed to tears at the beauty of the place, largely unknown to tourists, which yet preserves its mana, or potency or inherent power. And though that is bound to change with time, I felt incredibly blessed to be standing on sacred ground. (Of course we both know all of earth is sacred ground, but when it is more pristine, it can truly and instantly reach my deepest core.)
Thank you for loving this earth. And for appreciating my heartfelt interpretations of her beauty. Bless <3
Beautiful!
Mahalo. 🙏
Inspiration from the soul for the soul. Love this Bela. 💕
Mahalo, Val! <3
Beautiful words, Bela – and of course your thoughts leave me resonating. The photos too are so lovely! ❤️
I am always glad to hear your resonance, Betty 🙂 And of course I love taking these photos, so it feels good when others enjoy them as well. Peace on your impending springtime! <3
Another well-written poem about how nature speak to us, Bela. Like Miriam, this line jumped out at me: ‘I ask the black and gold glittering sands, Will you accept the imprint of my passing? ” It reminds me of how lucky we are to have the beauty of nature around us – and it is an honour to walk on some soft beautiful sand until the coolness of the sea comes creeping up and caresses our feet.
Also reading your comment to Balroop: sounds like you had a very inspiring day out, just being who you are and taking a moment to take in your surroundings – and it is amazing how being still we often feel the most peace.
Amazing photography. Very crisp shots on a sunny day 🙂
Mahalo, Mabel. We are blessed, ’tis true. And though the ocean invited me in that day, I was with a group and nobody was swimming. We were writing. The next day when I came back to show this extraordinary place to my husband, you wouldn’t have believed it was the same place at all. Waves were breaking like crazy, the sea was extremely rough, and a lot of the beach had been eroded away by the stormy surf. I am sure it will be placid again, but the contrast was astounding, given it was only maybe 14 hours later. I should’ve taken the ocean up on her invitation 😉
Thanks for appreciating the photos. Not a bad subject on a perfect day! Aloha ❤️
You could always drive to the beach again on a nicer day and take a dip…it might show a different side again. Happy writing and relaxing, Bela <3
Thanks! Yes, I can always drive to the beach a half an hour from home, here on the north western part of the island. But this particular shoreline is on the south side of the island, which is pretty wild and shark infested most of the time. That day though, I would have gone in for a dip. When the ocean invites, it’s safe to go in. 😎🤗😬
Wonderful……
Thank you! 🙏🌈
Such a beautiful place here Bela, I feel the energies.. I seem to have left a long comment on your latest post which vanished after filling in email site and name.. Yet on this post its back to recognising me.. Hope you find it.. 🙂
Sorry you lost it, dear Sue. Mercury is also retrograde, and these things happen with greater frequency during this three week cycle. No worries. ❤️❤️❤️
Beautiful Ode to Nature
Thank you! 🙏🤗