random thoughts on the elements – earth

dirt, soil, earth, clay, sand, stone, minerals, gems

brown, black, red, orange, yellow, white

tiny particles, granules

making up the whole

vast landscapes

raveens, canyons, plains, mountains, cliffs, hills, valleys, undulating, tunnels, burrows, caves

many layers

many worlds within many landscapes

diversity

always moving and changing

density, structure

buried, laid bare, covered over

over eons

ancient

responding to the other elements – washed away by water, blown about by wind, charred by fire

sodden, cracked through thirst

absorbing heat and cold

expanding and contracting

the rhythm of life

accommodating the conditions it’s subjected to

repairs, renews, nourishes. sustains, recycles, rebirths

cradling life

supporting life, encouraging life, loving life

teeming with life

microscopic life

large life

all of life manipulates it to make a living

patiently waits until it is done

sighs

repairs and recovers and renews

organic and dynamic

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I had a very grounded childhood in many ways.

I grew up with very liberal thinking parents towards culture, race, disability, and different philosophies.

My father worked in a psychiatric hospital, and he regularly took myself and my siblings to his workplace to visit the patients.

We were taught the real history of Australia as both my mother and father have Aboriginal heritage. We weren’t religious, so we did not celebrate Easter and Christmas.

We were fed a regular diet of documentaries about the environment and other cultures. We grew our own food, were taught to respect all living things, and celebrated nature. We did lots of  rain dances, running wild through the bush, revelling in thunder storms, and spending vast amounts of time looking at the night sky. We were always playing the Indians, never the cowboys.

My father loved poetry, and he always had a poem ready for reciting.

One of my fondest childhood memories is going to my paternal grandparents home for dinner every Saturday night. My nan made the best gramma pie. After dinner, my gramps would play harmonica and piano accordian, he was self-taught. My dad would play the spoons and sing. And we would dance. They were merry times.

I learnt to garden from my father and grandfather, and from the age of 8 I tended our large urban vegetable garden myself. My mum had depression so meals were in short supply at times. The garden provided a fresh supply of food but it rarely got to the table. My brothers and I took the produce straight from the plant or out of the ground, washed it under the garden hose, and ate it. To this day I prefer to eat raw vegetables. These days I grow some vegies and herbs in pots. It’s not our main source of fresh food, it’s more of a hobby. The satin bowerbirds usually get to the crops before I do. I always feel complete after a day in the garden.

On Sundays, we take a walk in the bush near our home. I talk to the children about the plants and animals, the energies of the earth, and Aboriginal Culture.

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Image source: http://www.elfwood.com/~pleiades/Element-Earth-Dance.3123838.html

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“Stone on Earth reminds me to take the time to sit still and rest for a while. The stones are in no hurry, they are comfortable with their place on the earth’s surface.”

 

http://breathofgreenair.wordpress.com/2013/01/03/stone-on-earth/