Sanctuary

I hear the world differently than you. Visual cues present themselves, and guide me in ways unknown to most. I hear rustling leaves through oscillating shimmer, as they dance to an East wind’s command. The splash of a Northern Pike delights me, as ripples radiate then fade to still waters. A loon’s crimson eyes rise and fall in royal splendour, as its lonely call brushes my soul. Night falls as ashen shadows and azure skies cloak reflective silence. All who bear witness unite in my world. I am not alone in the presence of the night birch.

The calmness in the water of Lake of Two Rivers is interrupted by an approaching storm. The winds pick up with a sudden surge, wildlife seeks shelter in a frenzy of activity, and the skies open up with a burst of moisture. All around, the air is filled with a freshness that adds rich hues to the surrounding features. The raindrops on the branches descend slowly as if moved by unseen forces, and new life is spawned on the forest floor below. The calmness soon returns to the waters of Algonquin, and life begins again, after the storm.