Monday, April 5, 2010

Green Senses

It’s spring in the university woods along the Ball Nature Trail and I am completely at ease. Surrounded in green, I sit down on the wooden path, leaning against tree bark. The bark feels unusually smooth in texture.

I am in total silence. I feel as if I have entered a dream-like state. Nothing in my waking life matters and the stress just seems to disappear.

I look up and see the wind gently swaying the trees. The branches seem to be trying to leave the earth and touch the heavens. The tips of the trees are sprouting fresh, green leaves. The birth of spring.

Behind a mess of twigs and leaves are vibrantly green leaf pads floating in the shallows of the lake, concealed in a way that casual passerby wouldn’t notice. A secret little haven. The tips of the pads are a bright yellow.

I look up into the clear blue sky and back down into the shallows of the lake. I can faintly see the blue from above. There is not a cloud in sight today. Looking up, I feel as if I am staring into a bright, blue void. The sun is hiding behind two taller trees, as if it were scared of its exposure up in the sky, with no clouds to hide it.

Two people are loudly and recklessly walking down the trail. They stop for a moment to talk. I wish they would go away. I feel violated that they would dare intrude my quiet space. I wait for them to exit the vicinity.

I look beyond the shaded shallows of the lake and see a fallen tree, blocking the deeper expanse of the lake. The collapsed tree has formed a boundary between the main lake and the beautiful green pads. If the tree were gone, would the leaf pads float away? There are so many of them crowded together, waiting for the tree to move so they can unleash their beauty and float away.

At this instant I hear the chirping of birds to my left. I jump in surprise but soon return to my quiet zone. The sound of the bird made me realize how disconnected I was from the busy world these past few minutes.

I have been putting all my attention towards the green leaf pads that I failed to notice the bright, crimson tree to my right. It is a beautiful red tree, concealed amongst green lush.

I inhale the smells of spring. Fresh air.

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