Nature as Muse

I loved the ocean as a child; we spent many happy weekends playing in the sun & sand, building sandcastles and eating sand-flecked chicken stew which my mother lovingly cooked & my father painstakingly carried to our picnic mat under a shady tree.  We took many seaside resort holidays, walking on many stretches of beach,  filling our buckets with treasures and poking at strange creatures in tide pools with our toes, fingers and sticks.

As an angst-filled young adult, I often walked along the shore, screaming into the wind, filling my lungs with soothing salty air, belting out kitschy songs only the seagulls could hear. I remember wondering to myself if I would ever tire of being by the ocean, and if it would ever stop lifting my spirits. Or anywhere awe-inspiring, for that matter. If we lived in such a place or visited that place often, would we cease to really see it and be inspired?

Swan Lake

Most people in Singapore live in high-rise apartments. I am fortunate to live in one of these with the Singapore Botanic Gardens as my backyard. I enjoy meditative runs & walks, mull over issues, make plans for the day, hatch poems & stories.

Ginomormous trees by Swan Lake

I have discovered that being in nature, whether it is the ocean, a forest trail, or a mountain top, is healing & inspiring. And the answer to my question is, no, I still feel astonished and astounded every time I find myself immersed in nature.

In response to Debbie’s One Word Sunday Challenge: Muse, I searched out these spots when I walked through the gardens this morning; they hold such promise & mystery, stories waiting to be told.

Pond at the Ginger Garden

This post is also in response to Frank Janson’s Tuesday Photo Challenge: Backyard

Feature photo is taken at a trellis tunnel found at the crest of a hill just beyond Nassim Gate, Singapore Botanic Gardens.