Meditation
Chilly autumn nights mean curling up by the fire, and I could spend hours watching the flames dance with a spirit so lifelike, I could swear they have autonomy of their own. This motif of aliveness in the natural world is most prominent for me in fall – when cascading leaves dance to the ground and the world explodes in colors of red and yellow. In Rockwell Kent’s “The Flame,” the life within us is united with the spirit of the flame, majesty of the mountains, and depth of the sky. Earth blends into humankind, whose shape perfectly mimics mountain slopes – unpredictable, wild, and grand. With purpose, the figure’s arm propels forth fire and passion in a flame bright enough to light the night sky. United: earth, wind, fire, and us.
Where do you fit in the natural world around you? Where do you witness life in the inanimate? How do you channel your own passion into a union with the world around you?
Brianna Curran, Washington, DC
