Our Beautiful Earth

~

As I gaze

In the evening light

~

At the creatures

Who share being’s birth

~

I am grateful

For the gift of life

~

And all there is

In our beautiful earth.

~

Egret (middle) and Canada Geese on the River Severn at Atcham, September 2021

Transcendence and Endless Horizons

“We are made for transcendence and endless horizons”

Richard Rohr

From hills and mountains, beaches and harbours, you get that sense of “endless horizons”, that draw us out of ourselves. Shropshire has plenty of the first, and none of the rest!

This photograph of Corndon Hill was taken from the ridge of Stiperstones, and the cloud creates that sense of endlessness.

And there is something transcendent, also, I think, to the experience of being on top of a hill.

You have that sense of a changed perspective from ordinary life, even a sense of special connection with nature, the universe, with God.

It expands my sense of being human – made for transcendence and endless horizons.

So Much Greenness!

Nature surrounds us with so many wonderful colours, but especially with greens!

I wrote this poem after being struck by greens everywhere and all around me on my Shropshire walk today…

.

It felt as if I had never seen

So much greenness

.

As if the spiritual force

Of life itself were green

.

As if there had never been

Another shade

.

To paint

The pathway plants

.

As if every blade

Of grass

.

For green

Did dance.

.

The Lawley, with Church Stretton and The Long Mynd in the background