Older than Words
No matter where I go in the world, I seek wild places. If I cannot find wilderness, then a place where there are more plants than people will do. Wandering through the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin one icy, grey January day, I imagine how this expanse looked when the Vikings invaded Ireland in the 8th century: “wiry heathpacks, flitches of fern” (Gerard Manley Hopkins, “Inversnaid”). Wild oaks clawed at the stars. Brambles raked the backs of unwary beasts. And then came humans:
Long ago the heath
was tamed into a garden
dotted with duck ponds.
Still, there are whiffs of wildness in this place: the raven, bragging of its exploits; the lugubrious willow, mourning the loss of its summer finery; even the eastern breeze trying to be polite as it rustles the reeds. By a language older than words, my soul is restored.
More Himmelsk
More Carpe Diem: “Heath”
More Ein Stück Himmel #56
More Three Word Wednesday: “Brag, Icy, Polite”
More Sensational Haiku Wednesday: “Traditional Nature Theme”
Posted on January 23, 2013, in Carpe Diem, Dublin, Ein Stück Himmel, haibun, Himmelsk, Ireland, National Botanic Gardens, Sensational Haiku Wednesday, Three Word Wednesday. Bookmark the permalink. 26 Comments.
Magical Mystical Teacher 
How apt this is !!!
Nicely done. Very thought provoking.
You found a really nice spot there!
And lovely it looks.
As always my friend, wonderful!
how lovely both the picture and the words
I am glad there are still wild places to be found..sometimes they feel even more alive in the cold January rains..
so scenic! the colors blend as do your frolicking words!
great words for a walk on the wildside
Lovely sense of whimsical yearning in your haiku! I totally relate to the wild places where Nature rules! That’s why I so love a winter beach!
superb shot….colors and reflections! and ‘then came the humans’ – you said it all
Very magical beauty you have presented us in word and picture.
Blessings
Awesome photo … and that haiku …just wonderful. I love the heath and wild nature. Most of the wild nature in my country is cultivated, but nearby my home we have a great wilderness. Just around the corner it looks like I am traveling back to earth’s beginning. Awesome place to be, to contemplate and meditate.
I ,too ,long for wildness but will settle for a cultivated garden, especially if it is dotted with ducks!
Is the the only thing about Ireland that’s ever been tamed? Oh I hope so – thank you 🙂
Nice photo!
Great for the theme!
superb shot, fit for a wall hanging. Tamed heath, lovely expression.
Untended
so nice to see the sky reflected in the water 🙂 thanx!
this scene calls out to me, “Come, feast your eyes upon me.”
Thought provoking, humans just want to tame the wilderness. I actually got some of the same feeling from a heath as the Sonoran dessert in springtime. 🙂
Your prose is poetic.
Cheers!
JzB
Peaceful…
Lovely capture!
Lovely capture!
http://amitaag.blogspot.in/2013/01/paradise-regained.html
Beautiful capture. Have a wonderful weekend.
My sky.
Wonderful photo!