Spring at the Edge of Winter: a Visit to the Mountains

We saw swallows skimming the surface of the pond,
kissing their reflection as their wingtips played ‘dare’ with the ripples.

We saw mountains huddled under blankets of snow,
reaching out hopefully towards the strengthening sun.

We saw trees, deserted by their leaves,
caught between Winter that had stripped them bare
and the promise of Spring’s new clothes;

Buds paused at the tips of branches
waiting for the warmth that would set them free.

We were onlookers;
revelling in the splendour that surrounded us;
re-created by the beauty of this time between seasons.

Oh to look, to enjoy, but not to touch;
because too much of what we touch turns to dust.

When we take what the universe is not ready to give,
we destroy and are destroyed.
When we receive the abundance the universe offers,
we are recreated and there is more than enough for all.

 

Sparked by a visit to Moorcroft Manor, Himeville in the foothills of the Southern Drakensberg.

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