The Spiral

August  2010
 
Once more we travel the spiral.
 
Once more, it is the dry season
beige grasses laid to waste on pink soils
dust and gold leaves drifting in gusts of wind
 
Tree of Life members from the communities and organizations meet at K***** to reflect on our journey
It has been a long hard walk
‘where have we been?’
‘where are we going?’
 
Slender resources have begun to take their toll
faces in the circle are drawn with the hardships they have endured
they spoke of the difficulties of healing in the continuance of adversity
and of the debilitating effects of lack of funding
and of the first tremors of violence that begin to be felt in their communities as talk of the ‘constitution’ and elections fill the air
 
and we see how this paucity allows us to loose our trust
and feel,
once again,
our isolation.
 
It is the dry season
 
but the days grow longer
and warmer
and life begins to stir
old familiar patterns….
 
Small explosions punctuate time
as Musasa pods split
flinging flat round seeds to the winds
 
The promise of the future forest
 
In the dry branches, feathers are displayed, nesting material  collected, territories  claimed
and birds of prey sit in the tree tops – waiting
 
As if touched by magic
the faded bush is lit with crimson flashes of flowering Erythrinas
and Musasas begin pumping underground water into new leaves of red and gold
 
waiting for the rains
 
Sitting under the thatch, remembering who we are,
the roots that hold us in this ground
Remembering the moments of inspiration
the magic of what has been done
and been forgiven
and how far we have come
and the faces lightened
 
Remembering the agreements which hold us together
the connections between us
and the web of people out there in the world who have held us in their hearts
 
remembering our resources
 
And at the centre of the circle there is the deep knowing that this is the work we have chosen to do,
the work of nourishing this growing forest
for it is only in healing that we can resist our old fears
 
Outside the thatched rondavel
the granite rocks echo our laughter
and small insects fill the air with a throbbing hum
 
life continues
 
Out there, in the confines of our tiny solar system,
Venus and Mars and Saturn and Mercury
slip past each other at sunset
and move to the other side
of our modest sized star
 
The rat in the A-frame has discovered a way of levering the fitted lid off the bird seed tin
does he stand on the top and bounce?
 
everything is everything