Some of my best friends are trees and I visit them often. they are always so welcoming and understanding. most of all they are givers and i love them for that. the forest is teeming with life so i'm never alone there.
to be alone i head for the rocks. to the sea. to the elements. yes there is life here also, lichens, grasses, wildflowers and the occasional bird. they are all lovely and often picturesque but that is not what i come here for. i come for the rock, the water, the wind, the sky with the sun.
they are neither alive nor dead. they have no awareness, no intention or needs. in the summer, people like to be sunbathe scattered around the rocks but on a day like this in November it's is an environment close to absolute peace. the breeze is light, the surf is softly crashing on the rocks, the clouds and sun are constantly shifting yet while there is both sound and motion, there is peace.
ice forms in the shallow rainwater pools.
not so long ago this was a war zone. reminders of it dot the coast. the scars in the hearts of the people have mostly mended with the passing of time while the wounds in the landscape have evolved into familiar landmarks. neither treasured nor ignored. exposed to the elements, in time they shall come to find their peace.
as have I