“In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans; in one aspect of You are found all the aspects of existence.”
― Kahlil Gibran
“All water is holy water.”
― Rajiv Joseph, Animals Out of Paper
There is little that speaks to the duality of nature better than water. She is the source of all life. It is from her depths or our ancestors first crawled, to evolve into creatures that would learn to walk and run and roam across the earth. She is the sustenance of life. Without her, we would succumb to desiccation, and this green-blue planet would give way to the monochrome tan of desertification, a brittle, brown nothingness. Without her, we simply would not exist. There would be no animal no vegetable, only mineral. I have seen how tender she can be. She gently kisses the buds in the spring and encourages plants to burst forth in another season of bloom, growth, senescence. She coddles a swirling nest of tadpoles in her shallows. She sings us to sleep on early autumn nights. And yet, I have seen her fury too, as waves crash upon the rocks with a roar so ferocious that it deafens onlookers. I have seen rivers rise and swell beyond their banks and sweep away everything in their path. I have seen evidence of her perseverance as she bites off pieces of shoreline, taking more with each passing year; nibbles at the fissures in cliffs until they tumble upon the sand below; devours loose soil and vehemently spits it back out over everything that crosses her path.
We oftentimes think of water as being light, silky, something that gently caresses our skin as we sink into the bathtub or the lake at dusk But anyone who has survived a drowning will tell you just how heavy she is, just how strongly she pulls on your feet and simultaneously pushes on your head, and you drift helplessly downward, the siren song echoing in your ears.
My relationship with water is equal parts reverence and respect. It's a funny thing to think about something you can't live without which also has the power to destroy you. Still, I cannot get over the beauty I see in all forms of water, from steam to mist to raindrops to snow, all of which at just the right moment, in just the right light, move me to tears, each drop merging seamlessly into the great body of the other. Water gives way to water. It never disappears; it only changes states and moves from one place to another. It never stops existing, like the tides, it ebbs and flows, constantly in transition. I like to think that our souls are like that too, sometimes liquid, sometimes vapor, sometimes solid, constantly evolving. The soul can fill a container for a little while, but it cannot be held in the palm of the hand. As soon as we try to grasp it, it slips effortlessly through our fingers. And yet, when we are in the presence of something soulful, we feel it. It is colorless, odorless, formless, and yet we sense it. It's as warm and familiar and comforting as a nice, deep bath.
This photo, The Source, is my ode to water. It is an ode to Soul, and affirmation of life. Everything that nourishes me is represented here within this square format, light, beauty, mystery, nature, and yes, water. It is my offering to you on this warm summer day. Drink up.
Until next time...
Anne