Conversations with Conversations with NatureNature

bykrista fogel.

simplesimple

beauty.beauty.

  

i find that…i find that…

looking at anything long enoughlooking at anything long enough

with the faith that it holdswith the faith that it holds

pieces of Lifepieces of Life

we can’t help but seeing we can’t help but seeing

the beauty and powerthe beauty and power

in its smallest of detailsin its smallest of details

undenied.undenied.

Sweet Sun-Sipper, Sweet Sun-Sipper, You’ve grown. You’ve grown.

I admire your delicate I admire your delicate StrengthStrength

To sing happiness To sing happiness Between rocks and hard Between rocks and hard

placesplaces

I like the way time feels I like the way time feels with you. with you.

Carpet of sentient journeysCarpet of sentient journeysGive me more juicy gossipGive me more juicy gossip

Of the treks you hostOf the treks you host  

Go aheadGo aheadAnd share mine, too.And share mine, too.

So you reckonSo you reckonthe Vitamin Dthe Vitamin Dis that way?is that way?

Quintessence of EssenceQuintessence of EssenceTiny holder of majestic projectionsTiny holder of majestic projections

I like it, too, when the I like it, too, when the Sun rises me up. Sun rises me up.

When I take the filmWhen I take the filmOut of my mindOut of my mind

And analyze its negativesAnd analyze its negativesAgainst the light,Against the light,

  I can’t understandI can’t understand

The purpose of The purpose of Walking on linesWalking on lines

So few and far apartSo few and far apart  

I choose the abyssI choose the abyssOf the spaces between.Of the spaces between.

Hey little girlHey little girlOf cautionary kissesOf cautionary kisses

I commend your commitment to I commend your commitment to Two-lipsTwo-lips

  I wanted to commit to two-lips too.I wanted to commit to two-lips too.

  But two became manyBut two became manyAnd many became WildAnd many became Wild

And then there was a FieldAnd then there was a Field

Heart to HeartHeart to HeartWe open up ~We open up ~

Sage of the NightSage of the NightDon’t leave me aloneDon’t leave me alone

  To the haphazard To the haphazard

TanglesTanglesOf which I belong.Of which I belong.

Do you remember the Do you remember the first time we met? first time we met?

Queen Mother of the Queen Mother of the AgesAges

Don’t be so sureDon’t be so sureThat your child will That your child will

never leavenever leave  

I used to beI used to beA small rock tooA small rock too

  And ended upAnd ended up

Making friends with the Making friends with the current ~current ~

Pink lady,Pink lady,Every yearEvery year

You’re becoming.You’re becoming.  

Teach me Teach me How to renew myself How to renew myself

like that. like that.

How do you live on How do you live on the edgethe edge

With such elegance? With such elegance?

Even trees quiver at Even trees quiver at your movement. your movement.

Tricky gravityTricky gravityThat grounds the That grounds the

massesmassesHumbles us to keepHumbles us to keep

Our white skirts downOur white skirts down  

But You…But You…  

How did you convince How did you convince the windthe wind

To come underneathTo come underneathAnd lift you up?And lift you up?

What is itWhat is itThat you point to,That you point to,

  Old keeper of the Old keeper of the

forest?forest?

Excuse me,Excuse me,But I’d like to play.But I’d like to play.

  … … Damn manmade constraints.Damn manmade constraints.

Freckled heavensFreckled heavensFaces copy your patternFaces copy your pattern

  Constellations Constellations

Written all over my ownWritten all over my own  

Come and read your Come and read your fortunefortune

As I read mineAs I read mine  

We look at each otherWe look at each otherIntertwined Intertwined

Have you always been Have you always been into pink see-through into pink see-through

underwear? underwear?

You make things pretty You make things pretty in your melancholic in your melancholic

downpour.downpour.

What is so attractiveWhat is so attractiveAbout the ephemeral?About the ephemeral?

  Finding simple plain Finding simple plain

happinesshappinessIn the silence of your In the silence of your

plentinessplentiness  

You’ve come and will goYou’ve come and will goLike music Like music

Juliet told meJuliet told meThat with RomeoThat with Romeo

She could move You.She could move You.  

Can I believe her?Can I believe her?

What typeWhat typeOf shampoo do you Of shampoo do you

use?use?

Such polite coloursSuch polite coloursThat share the space That share the space

So equallySo equally  

Have you all consideredHave you all consideredRunning for Running for

Government?Government?

You’ve set it again with You’ve set it again with your Tangled Wand your Tangled Wand

Transparent vendor of Transparent vendor of the Sunthe Sun

Sell me some of that Sell me some of that shineshine

  The kind that goes right The kind that goes right

throughthroughMy blind and opaque My blind and opaque

mindmind

Speedy BlusterSpeedy BlusterAre you chasing dreamsAre you chasing dreamsWithout living the onesWithout living the ones

That have already That have already come?come?

  Is that why you’re so Is that why you’re so

grey and threatening?grey and threatening?  

……I know it happens to I know it happens to me.me.

No one’s pretty girl.No one’s pretty girl.We’re left eaten We’re left eaten

By the vacancy of night.By the vacancy of night.  

Free Free UntamedUntamed

  We let down our We let down our straggly hair. straggly hair.

Are you angry?Are you angry?In a rush?In a rush?

Upset innards?Upset innards?You make me blushYou make me blush

  At your hyper-licked At your hyper-licked

greetinggreetingI love your fuel I love your fuel

screamingscreaming  

What is it What is it That makes you move That makes you move

with such purpose?with such purpose?

Twisted Spirit,Twisted Spirit,I could psychoanalyzeI could psychoanalyze

The grassroots The grassroots problematicproblematic

  But I’d rather But I’d rather Join the twirlJoin the twirl

In the green of your go. In the green of your go.

For who do you really For who do you really stand so patriotic?stand so patriotic?

I’m curious in curing my I’m curious in curing my slouch.slouch.

Teach me to relax like Teach me to relax like that. that.

Free SpiritFree SpiritYou’re no bowl of roses,You’re no bowl of roses,

But a field of wild But a field of wild flowers. flowers.

Each photograph in Conversations with Nature is a time spent with her, and a stillness long enough to question, comment, or tell her something. Simple enough, but surprisingly difficult in our fast-paced society that seems to be ruining her.

 * * *

A beginner at caring for and about the environment, my first goal is to simply slow down and appreciate her like a sister. I take photographs of her, we chat. She’s beautiful, she’s funny, she’s wise, I’m learning.

 Carl Honoré (2004) argues for a slower pace of life in his book “In Praise of Slow.” By his

bringing attention to the benefits of slowness (such as slow food, slow cities, slow work), I believe it can be a healer not only for our own lives but also for the environment.

 Why photography and poetry as my method for slowing down with nature? I was fortunate

enough to spend the past year interviewing scientists who also engage in the arts for my Masters thesis. Scientists spoke to a variety of benefits of the arts in their lives. In particular, one participant truly influenced me into slowing down with nature through art. He said: “Be still. Many people look, but few people see.” (Fogel, 2008, p. 95). I believe doing art forces me to do just that.

 Painting, sculpture, any act of artistic creation, has a special relationship with

slowness. As the American writer Saul Bellow once noted, “Art is something to do with the achievement of stillness in the midst of chaos. A stillness which characterizes… the eye of the storm… an arrest of attention in the midst of distraction” (Honoré, 2004, p. 230).

 I hope to find that stillness with photographing nature and conversing with her. It’s my small

act ~ To Be Friendly to our Environment ~ To Slow the Spin of the World ~ 

References Fogel, K. (2008). The experience of doing science with an artistic spirit: A

hermeneutic phenomenological study (Masters thesis, University of British Columbia, 2008). Retrieved October 21, 2008 from https://circle.ubc.ca/bitstream/2429/884/1/ubc_2008_fall_fogel_krista.pdf

 Honoré, C. (2004). In praise of slow: How a worldwide movement is

challenging the cult of speed. Toronto, ON: Vintage Canada.