Listening to the language of animals, elements, soil, sea or sky
We can write with (not to) nature
Dear Friend,
While I’m writing this note to you, early in the morning when I usually put quiet music on to jump-start my creative juices, I’m listening to birds instead. With no one else awake yet in my house, I hear them outside my window, calls near and farther away. Whistles, tuts, chirps–their language filling the landscape before cars start whirring by.
I haven’t sat in the early morning quiet for a long time, drinking my coffee and listening to the birds. I don’t want to turn on Spotify. I want their music today.
When you get quiet, what do you hear?
***
It’s the third week of the month so I’ve brought you a poem to ignite your imagination. (New friends, welcome! Find all of the poems we’ve written with in the archives).
Thinking about our April theme, Sacred Earth, Sacred Words, I remembered Emily Dickinson’s: Nature is what we see. Read it once or twice (or click the arrow at the top of the page and I’ll read it to you), let the words seep in (the way music does) and then we’ll write:
“Nature” is what we see—
The Hill—the Afternoon—
Squirrel—Eclipse—the Bumble bee—
Nay—Nature is Heaven—
Nature is what we hear—
The Bobolink—the Sea—
Thunder—the Cricket—
Nay—Nature is Harmony—
Nature is what we know—
Yet have no art to say—
So impotent Our Wisdom is
To her Simplicity.
Writing Practice: Set aside 5-7 minutes for this practice. Write in a journal or open a ‘Journey with The Season’ document where you can return each Sunday.
Prompt: Emily Dickinson describes nature as ‘what we know–Yet have no art to say–’.
Maybe we humans can’t capture the mysteries of and connections we feel about nature completely through words.
But we could try writing to something we love in the natural world. Make one connection. For example, I could start a letter or a love note to the birds I’m listening to now. I might start: Hello Birds. Good Morning.
I might write my gratitude for their music or I could go deeper and ask them to listen to me, too. I might tell them about the struggles I’m feeling today.
Maybe they something to say to me. Maybe they want to write back.
Writing opens our imaginal realm. Anything can happen on the page!
Make a list of elements in nature–what you’ve seen and heard in your landscape this week or parts of nature that you especially love (animals, minerals, sky, water…)
Look over your list and pick one thing that especially draws your attention.
Say hello. Express your appreciation. Share what’s on your mind.
If you feel called, imagine what they might say back to you–and write.
I’d love to read your imaginings. Comment below or use the ‘message’ feature to reach me.
Deepening Practice: Celebrate the earth this week by taking a few minutes each day to get quiet and notice what you hear, see, smell.
If you feel inspired, keep a journal of notes to those things. You might write again from their perspective.
May your week be full of noticing, listening and imagination! With love, Gabrielle Ariella