The Privilege and Joys of stopping.
Summer Weeks in England with family and the Goddess.
Hail and welcome!
This past week or so has seen some very fine weather in the English County of Cambridgeshire were my immediate family reside. In fact we are having a series of ‘heatwaves’. Which fact has seen my Beloved Filipina (and friends) laughing her head off at the fact that 24 degree centigrade with potential for an astounding (by our quaint English standards) 30 degree centigrade even counts as a heatwave!!
I am for this few weeks in a privileged position. This is my Summer vacation. Teachers normally get 5-6 weeks vacation. Although this year for the first time in 23 years or so, I have no position set for September. Even worse in some regards because I don’t have a home either. Just my family support for the summer hols.
Yet for this first few weeks I have decided to go ahead and enjoy the vacation in its own terms. I had planned that this year I would try and complete the Hadrian’s Wall walk. Walking West to East so that the Sun is behind us for most of the day and in line with prevailing winds. So from Bowness on Solway to Walls End and Newcastle area.
Gods willing one of my Sons, Toby, will be joining me in this trek and challenge. We will be doing a mix of camping and B&B across the 80 mile or so walk. Looking forward to it. These days before I have been checking over my little trek tent, the gear I need, new walking boots, reading a good quality guide.
Tomorrow I will be travelling to Carlisle and so I have that mix of excitement and trepidation. The weather seems to be great….heatwave even to start with! Stop laughing Filipinos!
We will be doing some kind of report/vlog postings possibly over the week for this SubStack. So you can join and follow our trek and see if we can complete it.
This past week has seen me cooking. Walking to the Sacred Grove. Both mentioned in last weeks posting. Two of the simple things that seem to give meaning to my life. I have also just been walking in and around this small town/large Village (it is kind of in between at the moment) and walking to Potton Woods.
Potton Woods (for most subscribers who have been with me on this SubStack journey for the fourth year now will know I come here regularly when with my parents) is where I come to breathe, meditate and read poetry. I also compose poems here: Seated upon the moss covered trunk of a fallen tree strewn across the little trail in the woods. See Tailtiu. The tree tops of birch and pine swaying in summer breezes and making for those with open ears a rhythm of living wind chimes.
Which brings me to a wonderful occurrence that happened as I was walking home from Potton Wood one day this past week. I was so awestruck by it that I wrote a Note (You can follow Notes on Syre Byrd Word Emporium on the App). Here it is. For as I re-read it I realise it has all the feelings and wonderment contained in that raw, unedited experience as it happened.
Sometimes I want to read something like that and I think many in today’s world of instant gratification there is a thirst for humanities interaction with nature. For we do mostly view her as not just outside (from our train or car or even plane window), but also outside of ourselves. Here is my Note in full;
I have just witnessed a beautiful occasion. A skylark rising from the green crop field singing it’s heart out as it rose, and rose and rose above me!
Then continue to hover and chant its hymn for a couple of minutes before descending slowly still performing its chorus.
I witnessed the whole performance and as a result feel blessed to have been stopped in my tracks to witness this song of nature.
I was indeed transfixed. In my heart and mind I was with that Skylark. Not just a witness but a participant with the talented Bird in this ancient chant. Of course I am by no means the first nor will I be the last to experience this.
Hilary Hahn plays Vaughan Williams ‘The Lark Ascending”.
With that thought of not just being a witness but a participant mulling over in my mind I will say goodbye for the time being and if we can do a vlog from Saturday for the walk…..we will post it here!
Blessings to all,
Syre Byrd
P.S. Remember I post Poems on the Poesy Tab on occasions. We dont email those to you.
Gosh. published and then realised I had forgotten to put one of the links in! Typical. Edited. Checked and still forgot something! All sorted now! :-)