Was I just imagining the New Mexican landscape as more barren than usual in spring? At any rate it certainly affected me. If a thesaurus were handy, what would the perfect adjective be? 'Disconsolate' might do, although it sounds a bit odd when applied to a landscape. But why fight it? It was impossible to look at this landscape and not sink into hopelessness.
We turned a corner and lost some altitude as we approached the mighty river of this area. I couldn't believe what I was seeing: an effusion of light-greenness from the leaves of cottonwood trees that lined the river. Is the green of young leaves special to their newness, or is it just that the brain hasn't seen anything but grey and brown for the last six months?
I wanted to scream with relief. Soon we crossed the mighty river, all of four inches deep and four feet wide, and yet it must be responsible for that marvelous verdancy.
It would be interesting to use an auger to drill down 10 feet or so, and then point a flashlight down into the hole. Is it a different world down there, with water trickling copiously, the antipodal world of the barren surface? Just imagine if you could actually hear the gurgle of water -- even faintly! No music in the world would be sweeter.
After such an experience, the landscape would never look the same again.
Comments
Great line....After such an experience, the landscape would never look the same again.
You know, that is soooo Platonic. To see the whole in something, the oneness of everything, the interconnections everywhere. When you say the landscape would never look the same again, I take that to mean its beauty becomes more evident. "Beauty" here equating to Life.
Hence, the title. Couldn't think of a better one if I tried.
George