The days are noticeably cooler now. Frost, still lingers on the ground as I dress in my layers & gumboots, only beginning to melt as the sun rises over the rooftops. My breath is visible before me as I walk through the park & the crunch of leave underfoot is all I hear in this sleepy neighbourhood. I watch fruit-bats fly back to their roost - their silhouettes are mesmerising against the pastel sky.
I arrive at the gardens - a garden for remembrance - I can't help but smile as I walk through the rose garden, locking eyes with an elderly woman with her dog, standing before a bush with a single yellow rose. Along the winding path, past lawns scattered with headstones & the prayer chapel, around a bend, to the rock shaped like Queensland.
There, under the shade of a Jacaranda tree, I rest.
After a few silent moments, I gather foliage & a few lingering blossoms dropped from nearby bushes to place beside her plaque. I produce a cup of water to wash away the dirt & droppings, until her name shines in gold. Then I sit, I pause - just long enough to feel a wave of emotion wash over me, not long enough for it to overcome me.
As I walk home, I collect pieces of nature from this peaceful place. Pine cones freshly fallen, still holding tight to its few last seeds; ruby, crimson & ochre coloured leaves beginning to curl & fall; & the last lime green leaves of a geranium.
As I arrive, I place them, thoughtfully throughout our abode - pine cones by the entryway, the leaves in a test tube hanging in the kitchen window & the geranium joins with hyacinth leaves on my night stand. Each in sight throughout my day.
Each day, I gaze upon these seasonal treasures. Each day, I smile to myself in remembrance.
* Linking with the delightful Lou at her Little Green Shed . Won't you join us?
