I had a dream…
I gingerly stepped out onto the effervescent ice. Shivering in my nakedness, the breeze pricked my skin to life, while it soothed my heart. Stepping fully out onto what appeared to be ice, I realized with shock that it was actually a two-way mirror. In the reflecting light I could see myself, my raw vulnerable body lit up by sunlight, my graying hair floating with the winds sweet caress. As I gazed down I could see through the mirror, taking in panoramic scenes of life upon earth. A movie reel of humanity.
I stopped frozen in place. Forgetting my exposure. Losing all sense of place and time. I watched the scene below me with a raging desire to understand. The movie played on, the cast of characters filled the stage, humans and the natural world. Scrutinizing with focus through the flash of my own reflection, I witnessed the world of paradoxical mirrors.
What I witnessed and grew to understand marveled me. Nature played us, even though we thought ourselves mighty and smarter, it merely mirrored back to us our own behaviors and way of being upon this land.
It is the predator and prey – the lion and gazelle…
It is the convulsing spew and soothing balm – the volcano and gentle warm breeze…
It is the fierce earth altering storm and gentle nourishing rain – the hurricane and dancing dew…
It is the destroyer and healer – earthquake and lavender field…
It is a killer and life giver – drought and sprouting plant…
It is light and dark – sunrise and obscured moon…
It is destructively ugly and enchantingly stunning – tornado swath and meadow of poppies…
It is harmonious and hostile – a forest ecosystem and inferno fire…
It is inspiring and disheartening – a rainbow and infestation of locust…
As I sat upon the shimmering surface, engrossed by the unfolding action below me, I felt tears, laughter, joy, sorrow, hope, despair… The breadth of my human emotions spanned the galaxy of possibilities. Never before had I been so keenly aware of natures paradoxical dance. It moved me from within, it frightened and fascinated.
All of sudden everything went black, a curtain pulled over my eyes. I blinked furiously, hoping to find light. An intense spark from afar expanded across the infinite space, clearing the slate before me. No longer did I see nature playing on the screen below, now I witnessed humans…
I gasped at the scenes, the human actors mirrored nature or was it nature mirroring the human?
A man beating his wife – predator and prey
Sludge from a factory, a mother caressing the face of her child – convulsing spew and soothing balm
A massive garbage dump, a woman watering her small garden – fierce earth altering storm and gentle nourishing rain
The bulldozing of a farm, the harvesting of herbs – destroyer and healer
The murder of another human, the caring craft of a surgeon – killer and life giver
The acceptance and love of another, the hate and judgment of others – light and dark
A child being molested, a child being cradled with love – destructively ugly and enchantingly stunning
A family dining together, a riot in the streets – harmonious and hostile
A person creating homeless shelters, a person ignoring a starving child – inspiring and disheartening
Again, I found myself swooning with a kaleidoscope of emotions. I sat frozen, unsure of what to feel, do, or say… The darkness swooshed in, this time I was calm, welcoming its closure and end. As the light presented itself, I quietly watched it expand, fearful and yet curious. The surface below me was solid now, a frosted, smooth white surface that went on forever. Above me the sky illuminated in glorious shades of blue, while the sun warmed my skin.
I stood up, allowing the gentle breeze to clear my mind. Then it struck me, like a bright shocking lightening bolt,
“What if human beings changed? Would the natural world mirror our choices? Could we begin a new cycle of cooperative co-existence? If nature mirrors us or vice versa, then it was possible, right?”
“Can humans change? Can we learn to live upon this planet with respect, gratitude and honor? Can we peruse our past to change the future?”
I had a dream…
Simply Fawn 