Contemplative Inquiry

Today, going out, I had a strong sense of midwinter – of being in the midwinter zone, the solstice zone. The long nights contribute heavily to this sense. The sun had risen (behind clouds) at 8.10 in the morning and was due to set at 3.58 in the afternoon. For me, less than eight hours is really not long enough daytime.

The daylight experience given to me today was chilly, but not seriously cold. I found myself in a watery space, neither bleak nor frozen. I reached a point where my path ahead was flooded.

Instead of walking on regardless I decided to be still and feel in to a sense of place. It felt rich and alive, in the late morning, though quiet as well. I was glad not to be sploshing earnestly down the path, anxiously alert for slippery patches and potential  hidden obstacles.

Looking around me, I saw the flooded fields of Alney Island. The water had a reflective stillness. The grass was brilliantly green. The trees were bare. It was a spacious and nourishing place to be.

After a period of panoramic gazing and awareness of horizons, I started to look down in more detail at specific surfaces, where floodwater and plant life mingle. In the picture immediately below, the fencing appears to look more influential than it is. In the final picture I find a satisfying balance of earth, water and sky. It is one face of the midwinter season in Gloucester 2025. I am glad I did not cussedly continue down the waterlogged path in front of me.