Passages : January 2023

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Backstreet Into Eternity

Today a light drizzle and biting cold keep me close to hearth fires in a comfortable chair; but in mind's eye, I reminisce yesterday's meander into yet another quest for quietude of soul and glimpses into eternity as painted by sandy expanses of treed shoreline at nearby Jordan Lake.

© Ilija Lukić 2023

Backstreet Into Eternity

(Cooper's Cove on Jordan Lake NC USA)

Monday, January 30, 2023

Chevron Firmament

Sixty-five degrees and nary a breeze encourage a short hike along the sandy shores of Jordan Lake. A motorboat breaks the quietude and rousts a huge flock of geese. While on the wing they sail past Seaforth Point. I hustle forward in the direction of their escape on hopes of catching their descent on the other side of the promontory. When I emerge from the waterside thicket, they somehow vanished. I surmise they flew past the next spit of land visible in the distance.

I am not disappointed. As I pause for a breather I catch sight of a dramatic, chevron-like composition consisting of windswept contrails against blue firmament mirrored in calm lake waters. Said artful layout of reflections draws attention to the beauty of a tree line a stone’s throw away across shallows of a lake arm. The magnificent landscape takes breath away and eases thoughts of more rain and cold days in our forecast.

Chevron Firmament

Saturday, January 28, 2023

Spring Harbingers

It’s late afternoon. I amble down woodland trails in search of primal quietude. Eager beams of mid-winter sunlight pick their way through colonnades of hardwood trees and bare canopies. A feeling of serenity takes hold. I pause briefly when the percussive hammering of a woodpecker breaks the silence. Out of curiosity and because it’s my first such encounter of the year, I scan the woods in the direction of the sound—but to no avail.

At that moment a golden oak leaf catches my eye as it sails through the corridor of trees intent on joining its fallen brethren on the forest floor, where Wild Onion sprouts invite picking and a tasty nibble. I rub several stalks between fingers and enjoy a whiff of the tell-tale aroma. Further down the trail I feast eyes on and give half-hearted chase to a flock of nomadic robins foraging enthusiastically in a sunlit field.

My winter-weary heart welcomes such harbingers of spring, albeit mindful that Old Man Winter has not run his course.

Fallen Brethren

Wild About Spring

(Wild Onion aka allium canadense)

Friday, January 27, 2023

Connectedness

Shadows cherish light

Light desires connectedness

Fond hopes do come true

Connectedness

Thursday, January 26, 2023

Divine Oneness

People shy away from limits on dreams

Because such boundaries rein in timelessness of spirit,

Which thrives in unfiltered streams

That flow from nature’s wells in Divine Oneness.

Original Perfection

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

Woodland Habitué

On the heels of heavy overnight rains nearby woodland trails are waterlogged. Cold afternoon airs and heavy overcast do little to dry out forest duff. Rich hues are a redeeming side effect of the lingering moisture.

As I slog down pine straw trails, I notice a snail dawdling across a piece of decaying wood. I surmise the rains have chased it from its hibernating place in the forest floor. I watch as it inches along, amazed it can function in the frigid temperature. I later learn that some snails can adjust their body chemistry (creating a glycerol as antifreeze) to help them survive freezing temperatures.

Habitué De Bois

(self-portrait)

Elegant Dawdler

(unidentified land snail)

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

Audacious Optimism

Given half a chance, shadowy debris of adversities in life will dampen spirits and weigh down optimism. Set aside caution in choosing how to move ahead—be audacious.

Audacious Optimist

(Southern Red Oak aka quercus falcata leaf litter)

Monday, January 16, 2023

Steadfast Heart

For clarity of purpose hearts demand

One eye to the future, one to the past,

One ear for tales of old, the other what’s at hand

To help sift out chaff of life and make heart steadfast.

Steadfast Sentinels

(Loblolly Pines at Jordan Lake NC USA)

Saturday, January 14, 2023

Peace Of Mind

For days on end overcast skies sealed sunlight into its leaden vault. Today its murky grip cedes dominion and the call of wild lands tugs at heart and soul. I venture out to the wooded shores of nearby Jordan Lake. Chilled to the bone by lively northerly winds, biting temperatures in the 30s, not to mention societal turmoil, I look for and find peace of mind in the comforting warmth of the Sun under sunlit azure skies mirrored in gelid lake waters.