hinarising

Monkeypod

Today as I circled the field on my morning walk I passed a tree that I often admire.  I take pictures of it during all stages of morning, all stages of light, all stages of the sun rising behind it, reflecting on its stature and strength and balance.  There is a majesty about it that draws me near.   I often stop in the middle of walking to stare into its branches–sometimes with the naked eye, and often with my phone/camera.  Once I even wrote a poem about the tree that mused about the beauty and metaphor of life.  Today I was thrilled. I was walking and stretching and laughing at e-mails on my phone. The wind was brisk and I was thrilled and overjoyed by people so far away in physicality, yet so close in heart–absorbing their beauty, their laughter, their sharing, and feeling how lucky I was to be connected with so many wonderful people.  As I passed the tree this morning I saw a man dressed in an army uniform staring up into the branches, and then take out his phone/camera to take pictures. I giggled at the irony of an agent of war and death reveling in the beauty of life.  It gave me an extra skip in my walk.  When I came around the field again I saw two army men under the tree.  Both stood together staring up into the tree.  The next time I walked around the field they were both sitting under the tree leaning on its trunk.  I wanted to stop and photograph them as they shared the beauty of life, but felt it would’ve been sacrilegious.  Instead, I enjoyed the sight. Every time I came around the field and saw them I was proud of the tree.   It had accomplished more by being still then I had in twelve laps.   I was totally impressed and grateful, and filled with joy.