There is a new cold sterile reality. I don't know when it started, but the days of my adolescence and childhood saw a world locally where nature thrived. How can I tell this world no longer exists ? It can simply be revealed by my brushes with nature today..
Having become a father I decided to collect some frog spawn to grow into frogs. I thought it would be fun for my daughter, as I did the same as a child. I remember collecting the spawn on cold windy April days, then releasing the frogs in June. How did things go nowadays ? Well the tadpoles have had to be released outside, into a pond as its nearly July, and they've only developed two legs so far. The very act of rearing them seemed impossible today, but it WASNT once...something has changed ! After all its not rocket science, is it ? There is a strange atmosphere nowadays. Nature is held in high regard, but doesn't play ball to our whims. Raising those frogs was an instance of hysterical optimism. It is no longer do able. Sad, but true.
Things are similar when it comes to growing seeds into vegetables. I plant them, they sprout, but never amount to anything, even after a full summer. The rain pounds the loose soil. 1 in 4 seeds sold in shops are infertile, so said a recent gardening survey...
The rivers in my valley used to hold good runs of migratory fish from July to December. Today your lucky if you see any, let alone catch one on a rod. All this when the rivers have never been so policed and clean and free of pollution. The water has a clear shallow look to it and there is no atmosphere in the river, I can feel the void of any decent fish life. The act of catching a Salmon seems today like a fairytale. Something profound changed. It has a deeper link than just the environmental. I can feel and believe this somehow. Times have changed, Yes, but also in a way I have yet to fully understand. Nature, especially connected to water is barren, gone, vacant.
No comments:
Post a Comment