Images: Photographs of the Five Elements, Illinois
Nature’s Beauty
Spending time in the surroundings I grew up in.
It had been 46 years
since being here on my birthday.
Thank you all for the wonderful wishes.
The five elements stood out so proudly.
The elements so much more evident now, after training in Vedic Meditation.
The subtle cues of Nature’s natural reflection. Always giving and providing.
The EARTH so proudly displaying
the abundance of corn and soybeans, thanks to the rain,
the coolness and the sun.
The rich earth so nourishing.
The trees rooted in the earth, so strong and shade-providing.
WATER as refreshing as ever and enjoyable to jump into.
Watching the children splash and share their skills in swimming.
In fishing, in catching turtles.
Forever entertaining.
Its reflection at night’s end, the beautiful ripples
and textures, the endless entertainment.
The SUN heating the air and providing hours of beauty and engagement.
The sunset where my father and I would go each summer evening
as a child to watch it set.
Every evening different than before.
Its brightness and vision. So consistent,
always on time. Reliable as you rise and as you set.
The WIND with the subtle breezes
coming over the wheat and corn fields.
Cooling us down and keeping us refreshed.
And the SPACE above, around and over the lake and land,
so elegantly executed by Nature’s natural beauty.
Over the fields. It shows us expansion,
it shows us symmetry and asymmetry and diversity.
The combination of all 5 elements at one time
is mesmerizing…
as the sun reflects on the water
underneath the canopy of the trees
creating a visual rhythm of beauty
as the trees gently move in the breeze
in the space around us.
So precious and engaging.
The immensity of sounds from the birds chirping,
the train in the far distance
and the woodpeckers pecking.
As peaceful and magical and forever changing, as time rolls by us.
Each moment precious.
So take the time.
Grateful for the abundance of beauty in what Nature provides.
Sharing some soothing time not listening to the news.
Soaking up Nature’s beauty for a minute.
06.29.2025 Deck Talk available upon request info@fifthfloormeditation.com