Tuning into nature
Sound - writing inspired by Beth Kempton's Summer Writing Sanctuary - Day Two
Hello, I’m Rachel. I write about nature and creativity to encourage connection and wellbeing.
This week I’m taking part in Beth Kempton’s Summer Writing Sanctuary. I’m part of her beautiful online writing community on here - Soul Circle, but this is her generous free offering to inspire and spark us all into writing. And that is exactly why I’ve joined. Depending on when you are reading this, I think there is still time to join. Here’s my writing from today’s theme on sound.
Layers of sound
At first, it’s the noises of the city, the workmen digging the road, the ever present low hum of the main road, the bangs from the building site
But… then… the mind stills, lets the human made noises be and I tune into the more than human sounds.
The herring gulls, the magpies, and then the orchestral ensemble of the insects. Each different, you could tally up the number of species by the differently pitched hums. I however am not an insect conductor so have to use my eyes for identification rather than my ears. A honeybee? A common carder bee enjoying the saliva, a buff tailed bumble enjoying the swaying verbena. Does the Batman hoverfly make a sound? Maybe only they know.
I let my eyes soften and tune into the breeze, the wind that woke me up pushing over the work barriers in the road, but is now playing with the trees. Of course, it’s not the wind I’m hearing but it’s effect. The different pitch and rhythm as it swishes the elderberry and ash and rustles the teasels. It wooshes like the sea as it passes my ears.
And then, the sound that always brings a smile, the grasshopper. I’m not sure if there’s just one, I’ve only heard one at a time but sit quietly, tune in, and more often than not, he’ll join the orchestra with his own string instrument. And if your ears can tune into their inner owl, you might manage to track him to his stage to watch him play.
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What brilliant auditory observations!