ONLY FOOLS SEARCH FOR PARADISE (while living in paradise)

Killarney Prov. Pk. Landscape.                                    Pencil Sketch

OUR SIGNIFICANCE QUESTIONED

It’s probably an aging thing, but as I grow older, I cannot help but think about just how insignificant we, as individuals are, and how quickly we become less important to community, then quickly disappear. 

One can scoff at my suggestion that we eventually disappear, become something of little, or of no, importance to society, other than that of a consumer of questionable value; a pain in the ass for some, and something that should make the supreme sacrifice, and go away. 

But consider, from the moment that we’re born we join the human race, a race to where no one knows, and we’re challenged to  become important, and to succeed. 

From our first word, to our first step, we are challenged to grow up, and become “something.”

As we are recognized by society we primp and strut, peer into a mirror and see what we want to see. We attempt to climb mountains, and settle for less, slowly accepting our place, then begin a slow descent.

At some point in time we come to accept, that we’ve tried our best, and we reluctantly, step aside, to watch, as a rising tide of others face the challenge, and go marching by.

That we’ve served a collective should be enough, but for some enough is never enough, and the descent from importance perceived, can be very tough. 

But leaving the past, although hard to accept, we soon realize that our importance is gone, and that it’s time for a rest.

As I sit in the sun, enjoying its warmth, I observe a lone ant, species unknown, drag a seed, no doubt from a distance, towards a hive she knows 

as her home. She’s serving the collective, the best that she can, an action decided eons ago.

Some would say that we’re better than ants, our species superior, supreme in many ways, but ants learned a lesson, eons ago, that "only fools search for paradise, when they are already living in paradise."

Algonquin Landscape.                              Pencil Sketch

A TRAIL HIKED - A LONG TIME AGO

Some twenty years ago, or thereabouts, we went for a drive. We travelled west from Ontario, and ended up at Waterton Lakes National Park located in Alberta. While there we did some short hikes, but ever so concerned about bears, we stuck pretty close to the Park's headquarters. There was reason to be concerned as, in addition to Black bears, grizzlies are known to inhabit the park, and only weeks before a resident of  Pincher Creek had been almost mauled to death by a sow Grizzly. We learned of a organized hike, and although it wasn't being led by a park employee, the fact that we'd be part of a group provided a degree of  comfort. If we were to run into trouble there, at least there would be support to get us back to the trailhead for help. So, early one morning we joined a group of fifteen, or so, intrepid hikers on a tour boat that motored us across the lake to the trailhead leading up to an alpine lake referred to as Crypt Lake. Most of the group were young and in good shape, so it wasn't surprising that after a few minutes we older folks were left behind. We could here everyone for the first half hour, or so, singing and shouting as they ascended hoping that any bears on the trail would hear them and move off the trail. It must have worked as during the hike we didn't see, or encounter any bears........ 

Waterton Lake - Watercolour Field Sketch.  1999

Waterton Lake - Watercolour Sketch  1999

Waterton Lake - Watercolour Field Sketch.    1999

Ice Field - Rocky Mountains    Graphite Sketch.   1999

A Trail Hiked

 The trail was long, the longest encountered.

We started at dawn, but didn’t get far.

Faced with a climb, a challenge indeed, 

we needed a rest to gather our strength;

and keep up our speed 

Rested, direction determined, 

we sped down the trail ever alert 

to that which might lurk, 

at the side of the trail.

Whistles and bells, hopeful at best,

but voice raised in song we’re told is the best.

So voices raised we set off exploring

wilderness settings,

judged some of the best.

Upwards,

ever upwards we climbed.

The air became thinner,

our speed became slower, and

caused us to struggle to get enough air 

to continue to reach our destination, 

near to the sky.

The tree line was left behind. 

Ahead; we faced a challenging climb, 

zig zags and switchbacks;

aggravated by heat and thirst,

made the climb much, much worse.

Challenge accepted we soon reached the top.

The view;

spectacular,

blue sky, and mountains filling the horizon,

as close as one gets near to the stars.

A rest well deserved we turned on our heels, and 

with voices raised we hiked down the trail, 

tripping, slipping, and skidding 

on loose sand and shale.

Below the tree line and through the forest,

huffing and puffing, we stop for a rest, then onwards, 

racing the sun as it sinks in the west. 

The trailhead is reached.

With twilight falling; 

despite feet swollen and sore, 

and with pride in achievement soaring, 

we hold tight to the memory;

…………..lived long, long, ago.

From time to time I attempt to write some prose and poetry. If you like great poetry, then stick with Keats, or Browning. However, if I've tweaked your curiosity, and you think that you might be interested in reading the attempts at serious writing by an older geezer, then try this link, which should take you to my Ernest's Poetic Musings.

https://poetryborealis.blogspot.com

NEW PUBLICATIONS

 I've been trying to retire, but COVID-19 keeps getting in the way. Lockdowns and restricted travelling require that we spend much of our time at home. At first it's not too bad, one can get caught up on some reading and watch a few movies in-between the weekly foray to shop for perishable groceries. But, this soon gets tiring, so in the couple of months I've pulled together a couple of books, collections of my prose and poetry written during the past few years.....

Should anyone be interested in previewing these books they're available through Blurb Publishing. Should you visit their website go to the bookstore and either type in the title, or my full name, Ernest Andrew Somers, and this should take you not only to these books but my series of art books.

Also, to pass the time until we can freely roam I've taken to doing some doodling, or making memory sketches of various Canadian wilderness places....

 

Northern Ontario Landscape.                                                  Pen & Ink

                                                                                                                                                      Doodling, sketching from memory, is a great way to experiment. If we accept that the doodles are simply experiments with only learning value, then we can go crazy and sketch away using a variety of tools and papers with no regard for the result. We might also consider making use of a drawing program on your computer, perhaps even a combination of both freeing up creativity we never knew that we had.

Georgian Bay.                                                            Digital Landscape

Northern Ontario Landscape.                                              Pencil Sketch. 2020

Food Lake - Killarney Prov. Pk.        Graphite Study

This study was to be a watercolour painting, however, I got carried away and instead of making a rough outline I ended up with something a bit short of a detailed drawing.