The Cliff Walk | Blog | The Owl and the Spirit

The Owl and the Spirit | Sunday May 11, 2008

Dragonflies Mating by Robert Hass 1. The people who lived here before us also loved these high mountain meadows on summer mornings. They made their way up here in easy stages when heat began to dry the valleys out, following the berry harvest probably and the pine buds: climbing and making camp and gathering, then breaking camp and climbing and making camp and gathering. A few miles a day. They sent out the children to dig up bulbs of the mariposa lilies that they liked to roast at night by the fire where they sat talking about how this year was different from last year. Told stories, knew where they were on earth from the names, owl moon, bear moon, gooseberry moon.

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Comments:

Wow! For me this is a powerfully poignant photo. So many opposing emotions came rushing up and stuck in my throat to be felt at once. There is sweetness because of the little owl in the "house". It and the colorful flowers spoke of people who cared about this person who died, people who had come here to pay homage or perhaps grieve or let go....or who knows? And yet is was deeply sad for me as one figurine is lying on the ground and there are weeds and rubble which also makes it look lonely or a bit neglected. And THEN there is an edge of the road in the top right corner of the photo that made me think of the "living" and how life goes on. What is interesting is that felt both a relief and also sad. For me it is on one hand a simple colorful and sweet photo and on the other hand a VERY emotionally complex photo. A GOOD job. Not sure you intended it that way but I think it is that way. Thank you.

Posted by RainforestRobin on May 11, 2008 at 04:33 PM PDT #

A strange combination of items.

Posted by sherri on May 11, 2008 at 07:32 PM PDT #

This is a very special photo, and I couldn't help imaging what the stories might have happened behind the image.

Posted by seizemoment on May 12, 2008 at 08:31 AM PDT #

Nice find... Beautiful tones!
Michael

Posted by 19 Seconds Of Spring on May 12, 2008 at 03:52 PM PDT #

I think rainforrestrobin summed up my feelings perfectly in the opening comment.

A powerful photograph

Posted by FLOOG on May 15, 2008 at 06:58 AM PDT #