the natural world – Page 2

…the tree: in five parts (4)

40. Part 4 Sugar spirit ‘The staple of the tree diet is sugar, which is generated through photosynthesis. Chlorophyll in the leaves absorbs the energy from sunlight, which is focused on the water molecules sucked in by the tree’s roots – splitting them into their component hydrogen and oxygen atoms. The hydrogen is combined withContinue reading “…the tree: in five parts (4)”

…the tree: in five parts (3)

39. Part 3 Crown of emotions ‘The ‘crown’ of the tree is made up of the branches and leaves. In deciduous trees (those that lose their leaves), there can be hundreds of thousands of leaves. The Royal Forestry Society estimates that a mature oak tree will produce and shed around 250,000 leaves each year.’ BranchesContinue reading “…the tree: in five parts (3)”

…the tree: in five parts (2)

38. Part 2 Roots of the mind ‘…trees utilise roots to extract water and nutrients from the surrounding area, as well as to anchor themselves in the ground. While most water is absorbed by the roots nearest the surface, some trees extend a ‘taproot’ deep into the soil. Roots can also play a part inContinue reading “…the tree: in five parts (2)”

…the tree: in five parts (1)

37. 1. Bark of the body ‘One of the key characteristics of a tree is the woody bark surrounding the trunk and branches. However, only the outer layers of this are alive, with a vascular system of cells called the cambium being responsible for the production of new bark. The inner layer of bark, knownContinue reading “…the tree: in five parts (1)”

…the herb garden

34.After he is gone the loss empties you of feeling, so you stand in the herb garden every night to smoke one cigarette. He was taken away before anything began so you aren’t mourning the loss of what you had, you are mourning what can never be. Except, of course, that’s not entirely true. HeContinue reading “…the herb garden”

…wild silence

33.The wild silence comes with the roaring noise of thought, with words that run and run and run and revel in their cycle, their impatience to go nowhere, their insistence to be heard. The wild silence is neither patient nor restless, loud or hushed, careless or yearning. She knows but will not speak, her emeraldContinue reading “…wild silence”

…new shoots

32.rhizome [rahy-zohm] noun • botanyA rootlike subterranean stem, growing horizontally along or under the ground and producing roots and leaves — Such as bamboo, water lilies, lotus, ginger, turmeric. — Turmeric is a member of the ginger family and both have medicinal qualities, turmeric soothing inflammation and anxiety, ginger a balm for the stomach. WhenContinue reading “…new shoots”

…the dive

31.— Your father taught you to dive at an early age, first sitting you at the edge of the pool, arms pointing like a giant beak, encouraging you to tip gently into the water. You don’t remember the transition from sitting to standing but at some point, when the fear had gone, you would haveContinue reading “…the dive”

…soul in the sky

28. I have found the headless bodies of rabbits and blue jays, and known it was the great horned owl that did them in, taking the heads only, for the owl has an insatiable craving for the taste of brains.Mary Oliver The Owl When you are ten or twelve, you go birdwatching in the early-dawnContinue reading “…soul in the sky”

…clouding the issue

26.Interstellar clouds are made up of hydrogen and cosmic dust, the mystical place where new stars are hatched. Creation requires the coming together of things; an experiment, an observable reaction, a bold joining or merging of molecules. The aloneness of the artist is deceptive. The coming together, the connections, are all happening within. Cumulus clouds,Continue reading “…clouding the issue”