I’ve always had an open mind on the reality of ‘fairies’ – earth elementals to magical folk, and a very real presence to many in our woodland, and particularly landscapes with streams.
Category: nature
Conversations with a LizardConversations with a Lizard
I’m having a conversation with a lizard. Nothing to be alarmed about, the lizard is only in my head – quite literally, in fact. As Homo Sapiens developed over the
Long Naked DivisionLong Naked Division
Stark, naked, the long cold night of winter Draws my will to live in shapes Whose beauty lies in number, Unseen to hands that touch My rough and dusty bark…
Structures of UnfoldingStructures of Unfolding
(📩100 words, a one-minute read) The sky lit bright with promise The dark earth sodden and soft The tree – the form returning life will use to shape itself. Like,
Signing off for 2023 – Happy Christmas!Signing off for 2023 – Happy Christmas!
With this post I’ll be signing off for the rest of 2023 and the first week in 2024. I’m sure we all need a recharge, and I find the festive
SoddenSodden
Sodden, like a soldier’s backpack hauled across the final freezing mile. The face of one determined To outlive, within an icy smile. A green chord, stroked arpeggio Denied its solemn
The surrender of final beautyThe surrender of final beauty
Sometimes, the moment just is … in all its beauty. The leaves, their work done, let go the link to their sustenance and fall through space to an unknown place, where their
What hollow world lies hidden?What hollow world lies hidden?
—-//—- What hollow world lies hidden Within these solid forms, Inviting me with eyes and mind to follow? How would I live as leaf or twig Or fruit as berry:
The hidden waterways of Bolton-le-SandsThe hidden waterways of Bolton-le-Sands
It’s like a Dutch canal system in miniature. It’s usually freezing cold, and seems to go dark quicker, there, than anywhere else we visit. Welcome to the hidden gem of
Long and winding roadLong and winding road
(Above: passing through the Cumbrian village of Skelsmergh) The small village of Skelsmergh lies at the end of one of the long, twisty lanes that follow the valley of the
Sunrise at AmlwchSunrise at Amlwch
Each May and November, we like to spend a few days on the Welsh island of Anglesey. It’s hard to say what draws us back, year after year, but there
The Light in the Midnight GardenThe Light in the Midnight Garden
Why would I be out in the garden at midnight? Good question. It’s the collie, you see. A good night’s sleep is greatly assisted by a dog who’s gone wee
SOFT PALE BLUES IN MACKEREL SKIESSOFT PALE BLUES IN MACKEREL SKIES
©Stephen Tanham 2023 Stephen Tanham is a Director of the Silent Eye, a journey through the forest of personality to the dawn of Being. http://www.thesilenteye.co.uk and http://www.suningemini.blog
Crank and SpinCrank and Spin
Stephen Tanham is a Director of the Silent Eye, a journey through the forest of personality to the dawn of Being. http://www.thesilenteye.co.uk and http://www.suningemini.blog
Mountains beneath the SeaMountains beneath the Sea
I was talking with a friend about life – not a generalised view of life, such as we might do in an introductory talk to mysticism, but in the sense
The Unmasked HumanThe Unmasked Human
In an attitude that most of us would find chilling, Francis Crick, the Noble Laureate who co-discovered the structure of DNA, referred to it as ‘the astonishing hypothesis’. He wasn’t
Some Days DefineSome Days Define
Some days define… In this case the cold. The vastness of Morecambe Bay is sometimes defined by its light. In this case the deep blue of an early afternoon with
The Human Eye In WinterThe Human Eye In Winter
Within the blood of life, the love is colour: The lime-shine kiss of spring’s new fingers The rising sun, the heart of gold The mellow blaze as autumn lingers. And
Deep watersDeep waters
The fish are watching me watching them. Every so often, one or another will come to the corner of the aquarium and look out into the world around my desk
The Marsh King’s Daughter: Blossom…The Marsh King’s Daughter: Blossom…
Hi-ho the Carrion Crow, bow and bend to me… * …There usually is. Perhaps one reason for the tale’s obscurity these days is its perceived, overtly, Christian message. This
#StillLight : Night then Day#StillLight : Night then Day
A simple grouping, photographed, then post-processed to look like a painting. The spring beauty of night and day. ©Stephen Tanham 2022 Stephen Tanham is a Director of the Silent Eye,
A rift in realityA rift in reality
We were up at the crack of dawn, not because there had been too much wine the night before, which might have been expected during an evening in an Italian
Fruits of Balance…Fruits of Balance…
* … “‘Greater’ is just as perplexing as ‘space’ and ‘colour’.” “It contains the concept of consumption.” “Yet, is not necessarily overjoyed at the idea.” “Perhaps it is just issuing
Fruits of Form…Fruits of Form…
* … “‘Space’ is difficult.” * * “What we call space might not actually be spacious.” * * “‘Specious Space’? Nice…” * * “Like, what we call colour, might not
Water babiesWater babies
Angel fish was in his accustomed place where he waits every morning, knowing that as soon as I have opened the doors for the dog, he will be fed. Ani