Beautiful Expressions

Nature's quiet beauty, classically represented by this hidden water-lily. (Click to enlarge)Beauty and nature are synonymous to me. Within all of nature lies a spirit that is the source of this beauty, and it speaks to us, our own spirits, in a language beyond words. From the great clouds of celestial matter that form spectacular nebulae churning away in the great blackness of the universe, to the micro-universe within each cell of our body, nature goes quietly about its business, with much of its splendor largely unnoticed; no pomp or pageant to flaunt the beauty and elegance of a crusty patch of lichen clinging to stone or bark. No throngs of star-struck, fashion-hungry fans following every step and change in the life cycle of a parasite. 

A different sort of beauty: a female cicada killer wasp with her quarry. This one struggled quite a bit, landing often, climbing tall plants to gain a take-off advantage. Clearly tired from flying with her load, I offered my hand and she climbed aboard for a free boost into the air. At two inches long, she is fearsome-looking to our prejudiced eyes, though she is harmless to humans unless treated roughly in hand or mistakenly trapped in clothing or stepped on with bare feet. (Click to enlarge)In nature, form follows function. Yet nothing exists in nature without expressing beauty in the execution of its purpose – even though we may find such beauty-in-purpose to be a horror, as in the case of the Cicada Killer wasp that hunts, captures, and paralyzes cicadas, drags them – still alive – to the underworld as food for the wasp's developing larvae. This is not a soft and cute type of beauty, but it is a beauty nonetheless. There are wonders to behold and wisdom to gain if we can see past our differences, our fears and prejudices, and focus on our similarities when we look at the world around us, be it wild nature or domesticated humans.

Comments

[Steve P.]

You came out of your " Doldrums" with a bang! Excellent stuff.